The Return of Ash Ketchum
by Grimoire Reaper
Summary: Ash disappeared soon after the death of his mother. Only to return 5 years later to visit her grave. How will his friends react when they see him again. What will they do when the learn the identity of the one who has been with him for the past 5 years.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon Satoshi Tajiri does.

This is my first fanfiction story. So it might not be as expertly written as some you have read. I would like constructive criticism but please no flames.

Domino 21

Gary 20

Misty 21

Brock 23

Tracy 22

May 18

Dawn 16

Max 14

* * *

><p>A morning breeze blew into the small town of Pallet. And everything was waking up slowly to the rise of the sun. Everything seemed oblivious to the stranger that was entering the town wearing a black hooded sleeved cloak that opened out at the front showing black cargo pants, combat boots and a black muscle shirt that showed his toned chest. His loyal companion Pikachu riding astride his shoulder. If they had looked at him they might've recognised the one man who became the pride of this small town.<p>

Ash Ketchum was here on important business. It was the fifth anniversary of his mother, Delia's, death. He slowly marched to the house that he grew up in, the house where he started his Pokémon journey and the house that his mother died in. When he reached the remains of the front gate to his childhood home he stopped to look at the charred building. It was still the same as it was the night of the fire a memorial to a cherished member of the small town.

He opened the gate and quietly walked around to the back garden where his mother's tombstone was. Memories of the day of his arrival home from Sinnoh and seeing this started to return and haunt his mind the longer he stayed here but he forced them away, they would not prevent him from visiting his mother.

He looked onto the overrun vegetable patch, that his mother took so much pride in, which was now choking in weeds. He thought back remembering that his mother was considered to grow the best vegetables in Pallet. 'What are you thinking about Ash?' the little electric mouse asked his master and old friend.

"Just how much this place is so different, buddy. Seeing it in such a state makes me miss mum even more. If she were alive it would be filled with beautiful flowers and mouth-watering fruits and vegetables. It… it's just hard to see it like this." Pikachu smiled sadly at his friend. 'Yeah I miss her too.' Ash rolled his shoulder causing Pikachu to slide forwards off it and into his waiting arms.

"Let's go pay our respects, the others are will be coming and I want to be gone before they arrive." Pikachu nodded and let Ash hug him as they reached the grave of Delia Ketchum that was sitting under the tree that was planted the day of Ash's birth. Funnily enough, it was an Ash Tree.

No words were spoken. He just knelt down to read the engraving on the tombstone. 'Delia Ketchum loving mother and friend' a tear rolled down his cheeks as he read the engraving. There they stayed, in the soft breeze listening to the sounds of Pallet Town awakening remembering the happier times that Ash and his mother spent underneath this tree. He then smiled down at the grave, got back up wiping the tear the was clinging onto his jaw line before turning around leaving what was left of his childhood home behind him.

He started to walk to the outskirts of town when the peaceful morning was broken by a shrill scream. Ash turned around to see what had caused it and saw that down the road a couple of Team Rocket members were trying to steal a little girl's Eevee. Seeing them here brought memories that he didn't want to remember.

"How dare they come back here again" he growled feeling him almost losing himself in his hatred.

"Pikachu let's lend a hand use Thundershock on those animals." Pikachu let out a growl so feral that didn't seem possible for the small kind Pokémon to make. 'With pleasure' he replied before lighting up the two Rocket members. Ash ran over to the girl who was picking up her friend.

"Are you two OK?" he asked the girl and her Pokémon. The girl nodded and looked behind him.

"Look out!" She yelled, Ash turned around in time and lifted his arm in defence as a Rattata bit down on it.

The girl screamed out in fear as Ash was bitten. Ash grabbed the rat Pokémon and summoned some of his aura down his arm and to the Rattata's mouth. The Pokémon let go to cry in pain as Ash ripped it away from his arm. Ash raised the rat-like creature high above his head threw it at its trainer.

"Pikachu! Thundershock now! Put enough power into it to paralyse the lot of them and send them flying. Blast them all the way out of Pallet." Pikachu nodded glad to follow such a command and sent a large bolt of lightning at the Rockets. Ash watched the light show as Pikachu's attack hit Team Rocket before it exploded and sent them blasting off as he slowly used his aura to heal his bite wound.

When the Rockets were little more than a dot in the sky and his arm was healed he turned around to see that his rescue of the little girl and her Eevee was seen by a number of townsfolk and their Pokémon who rushed over to see who screamed. He hesitated a little before he waved to them and turned around to leave, Pikachu climbing back up his arm and sitting on his shoulder, content at causing more Team Rocket members pain. The girl seemed to regain control of her voice and feet as she ran over to him, asking him to stop. Ash turned around to look at the girl and patiently waited her to catch her breath.

"Thank you" she said before jumping at him and wrapping her arms around his waist. Ash was shocked for a second before he hugged the girl back.

"Delia, who is this man?" Ash flinched at his mother's name as a woman asked the young girl. Ash recognised her immediately she was his mother's old friend Suzanne Hastings who lived down the road. She still seemed to like to wear the same creamy yellow sundress that she used to wear.

"I don't know but he saved me and Eevee for those bad men who tried to steal her." Suzanne gasped and turned to Ash.

"Thank you for saving my daughter and her Pokémon." He smiled to her and replied.

"Don't worry. It was no trouble, I was just in the right place at the right time." Ash told her, nonchalantly. She smiled at his modesty watching him ruffle her daughter's hair.

"Please, would you like to join us for breakfast as a way to say thank you for saving Delia?" Ash paled a under his hood that would mean that he might have to take his hood down and he was sure Suzanne would recognize him immediately but he would also look bad turning down such a kind gesture. He turned to Pikachu, who shrugged his shoulders. He turned back to Suzanne, smiling kindly.

"OK. Thank you very much." He accepted, even though he was worried that his quiet trip to see his mother might cause everyone in town the find that he was here after being missing for five years.

"YAAAAY" Delia cried as she and her Eevee ran down the road to her house yelling back at Suzanne and Ash to hurry up as the crowd dispersed a couple of them thanking him as they left. Suzanne giggled and started to walk home.

"I'm sorry. I invited you to breakfast and I don't even know your name"

"Ashura Satoshi." He replied using the name he had been going by for the last half a decade.

"Ashura huh? Do you use Ash for short?" she inquired "I only ask because there was once a boy who lived here called Ash. Delia is actually named after his mother as a matter of fact" She sighed.

"Neither of them deserved what happened to them." Ash, wanting to keep up the appearance that he was new to town, asked a question what would be a retelling of one of the worst times of his life.

"Why? What happened?" Suzanne turned to face the burned down house.

"A couple of Team Rocket members tried to steal the Mr. Mime that she had. But when she didn't give him up they forced them into the house and set it on fire, burning her and the Pokémon alive within. What was worse was that Ash and his friends arrived the next day to celebrate him coming second in the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh. Professor Oak tried to stop Ash from seeing it before he was told… but it was too late. His friends and their parents came to the funeral and Ash disappeared that same night with all his Pokémon. And he hasn't been seen since." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm sorry to hear that. They must have meant a lot to you." He replied sadly, ashamed of himself for causing the woman that he thought of as an aunt to cry.

"Thank you. They were good people." She took a moment to compose herself, drying her eyes with a handkerchief from her pocket. "Delia was like a sister to me. And Ash like the nephew I never had. I do miss them so. Today happens to be five years to the day that she died. I was pregnant with my own Delia at the time. And when she was born, I just knew that Delia was the perfect name for her." She watched the road ahead of her and Ash, watching her daughter bound off gaily. "She looks very much like her." Ash smiled under his hood as he looked at the little girl that turned around towards them to see where he and her mother were.

She did, indeed, look just like his mother. She had brown hair though it was done up in pigtails that curled inward at the end like his mother's ponytail used to and similar hazel eyes, the small button nose and even the same smile. She even had a similar taste in clothes too, as she wore a blue skirt and yellow t-shirt with a Pikachu on it.

"You know, some people say that when someone dies they are reborn anew to live life again. It may be that when Delia died, she was reborn as your daughter and that's why you felt the need to name her Delia" He told Suzanne, comfortingly. She smiled sadly in response.

"Yes. But it sounds like I'm the cause of her death."

"We must all die sometime. That's our one fate there is no stopping. Your daughter was born and, if she is Delia reborn, then it was her fate to die. Don't think that you are the cause for her death. Just be happy that you might be raising your friend and giving her all the happiness she deserves." Suzanne sent Ash a smile

"Thank you. It makes me warm to hear that I may be making my friend happy."

Ash smiled to himself. He had come to terms with his mother's death long ago, with some help. But there were times that he felt the hollowness of her not being there to wait for him to return anymore. But he knew that it was only natural. Every child will always mourn the passing of a much loved parent. But to think that she may now be being raised by someone as good and kind as Suzanne made him happy that her new life was filled with happiness and love.

Ash then looked at Suzanne "Where is Delia's father? I'd think it's too early in the morning to leave for work?" he asked. All she did was sadly smile at him.

"Richard was a good man. But, soon after Delia's third birthday, he started drinking because of trouble at work. One day, he drove home drunk and he crashed his car. He died shortly after in the emergency room." Ash nodded slowly looking at her. Richard Hastings was a good man but he had a short temper at times that, coupled with inebriation, might have made him a danger to Suzanne and Delia.

Maybe that was why he saw the small glint of relief in her eyes that was overshadowed in sorrow when she mentioned his death. He pushed the thought away as Suzanne opened the gate leading to her house.

Ash opened the door to Suzanne's house and, like the gentleman, he let Suzanne and Delia enter first. Suzanne smiled and thanked him before entering. When Ash entered, he looked around the house, in an effort to make it look like he had never been here before. The house was a bright and happy area, with neutral colours for the walls and blue carpet for the flooring exactly as he remembered it.

Upon the wall were pictures of herself, Delia, their family and even a couple of Ash and his mother. He noted that there were no pictures of Richard, showing support to the theory that he might have become abusive towards Suzanne when drunk. Then again, he also knew Suzanne loved him very much, so looking at pictures of him might still be painful for her. Delia wouldn't remember his face at such a young age so it didn't hurt her not to see pictures of the father that she could never remember clearly. Unable to help himself, he walked over to a picture of him, his mother and Suzanne that was taken during the time he spent in Pallet after he returned from Hoenn.

"That's Delia and her son Ash" he heard Suzanne explain. Ash looked at the photo with a sad smile, tears of nostalgia threatening to run down his face

"They look happy." He sighed "Team Rocket are a menace. They cause so much death and suffering for everyone" Suzanne nodded. "Damn you father" Ash muttered under his breath.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Ash shook his head. Suzanne looked at him suspiciously before smiling again. "Well, this way to the kitchen, Mr Satoshi."

"Please call me Ashura" he smiled politely to her. Ash remembered the conversation that he had when he confronted his father a couple days after his mother's murder.

_(Flashback)_

_"It was your men that killed her, dad! It's because of them that she isn't here anymore. Why was she attacked! I still remember the day you told me that grandma forced you to take over. But you said that me and mum would be safe from Team Rocket, and now this happens. I get followed by three buffoons, forever trying to steal my Pikachu, and my friend's Pokémon for five years and now some of your men have killed mom." Ash continued to rant and rave and accuse his father, sometimes grabbing things around the room and throwing them in a fit of anger as Giovanni sat there, with great guilt and sadness clouding his face, as he watched one of the only things that was good in his life full of anger, hurt and despair. _

"_I'm sorry Ash. I didn't know, they were new recruits. They've already been dealt with. I'm so sorry son, I never wanted this. All Rocket members are told not to interfere with Delia. Someone must not have told them. I'm currently searching for the culprit." _

"_Argh! That won't matter dad! It won't bring mum back" Ash shrieked as fresh tears flowed. He knew what his father meant when he said that he 'dealt with them'. It made him almost wish he was there to see his father dispose of them, and maybe even help him. But, in his heart he knew he could never do that and betray his mother's memory – or what she had taught him. But he did feel a little better knowing the people that killed his mother were dead. _

"_This is the way I've been for too many years, Ash. It's all I know." Giovanni looked away from his son and out the large window of his corporate office. _

"_Ash… I want you to do something for me." Ash stopped his ranting to look at his father. He wasn't the man he remembered from his childhood. His father was a proud man that always held his head up high, always had an aura that demanded respect and would give it in return and a heart of gold. The man before him looked defeated and old, his eyes that once could burn into your soul with such intensity filled with love and pride gone replaced with darkness, heartache and sorrow. _

"_What do you want me to do, dad?" _

"_I want you from here on in to try to destroy Team Rocket. I'm in way too deep, and I'm too old, to do so. And because I'm the leader, I too am responsible for Delia's death. I want you to take your revenge on me and Team Rocket and stop me being the monster that I am." Ash looked at his father, shocked. _

"_But if I do that you'll be arrested!" _

"_It's the only price that I find fitting for me, short of you killing me, as payment for my crimes." He looked straight into Ash's eyes, letting him see their former intensity that could cause you to feel as if you weighed a ton. But, there was something else within them, self-loathing. Ash could see that he was placing the death of his mother solely on himself. _

"_I still remember Delia always talked to you about me before I became the boss. The innocent me who wanted to become friends and capture Pokémon the right way. In a way, I see my dream being fulfilled through you, Ash. It makes me proud to have such a son." _

_Ash watched his father tearfully "OK. I'll be sure to bring down Team Rocket for you, dad. I'll do whatever it takes." Giovanni nodded. _

"_Just make sure that it doesn't make you lose your innocence, my boy. And if it does, only do so when you are prepared to lose it. One final thing…" he said before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a rather plain looking pokéball. It didn't seem to fit in the lavish room that they were in or the luxury balls that his father often used. _

"_Take Persian with you" Ash's eyes widened. _

"_But dad. He's your most prized Pokémon. I can't take him from you." _

"_You can. And you will. This is one of the last gifts that I will give to you Ash. It was both Persian and I's dream to become Pokémon masters. I want you to take him and have him aid you in fulfilling your dream. And in so doing… fulfilling mine." He ordered before holding out Persian's ball. _

_Ash hesitantly took it and threw it into an empty space in the room. Persian came out and looked at his master and his son. He then padded over to Ash and rubbed his head against Ash's, greeting him. Ash then reached down and started to stroke his head causing Persian to stop and purr rubbing his head deeper into Ash's hand as he began to scratch behind his ear. _

"_Persian. It's time for us to part. I want you to go with Ash. Protect him. Aid him. And help him towards the dream that we all share." Persian looked at his master before walking over to him and rubbing his head on his leg telling him that he would honour his request before walking over and sitting next to Ash, patiently waiting for the time that it would leave with its new trainer, always faithful to the ones it called family._

"_Thank you dad. I'll take good care of him." He said patting Persian on the head causing him to purr and rub his head into his hand again. _

"_I know you will son. Now… one more thing before you go. I know that you always travelled with friends, so I was wondering if you would like some company." He was greeted with a confused face. _

"_Domino's outside this office right now. She's the closest thing I have had to a daughter. She's never caught her own Pokémon, either. I would like you to take her from here and aid her. And, please, save her when you bring down Team Rocket. I want you to be there to help her let go of the darkness in her heart that she has gained working for this accursed organisation." _

"_Will she like that though?" Ash quizzed with a raised eyebrow. "The last time I saw her, we weren't really on a friendly basis." Thinking back to the time he prevented Team Rocket capturing Mewtwo and the other clone Pokémon at Mt Quena. _

_Giovanni laughed "Yes. That was why, whenever she thought she was alone, she was always complaining that you were a 'good guy' and not a member of Team Rocket. Or she'd get angry that she was the 'bad guy' and never able to travel with you on one of your journeys." Ash spluttered in surprise, making Giovanni smirk. _

"_Yes Ash. I believe that Domino likes you, and likes you a lot. I know… because of the noise that comes from her room after a meeting. Whenever you're mentioned foiling one of our plans" he smirked even more as his son blushed._

_He never understood why Ash always pretended to be oblivious when it came to love when he travelled. Or how his friends never thought to ask him where all of the money that Ash used to fund their journeys came from. Although, it did come from the few businesses that Giovanni had that was purely legitimate, and had little – or no – connection to Team Rocket, besides its owner._

_Before Ash could say anything more, Giovanni asked Matori to send in Domino. When she entered, she opened the door silently and turned around to close it again not seeing who was in the room. Persian walked over to her and rubbed his head against her leg. Domino giggled. _

"_Stop that Persian it tickles." Ash was surprised this Domino seemed to be rather nice and friendly compared to the one he saw at Mt. Quena. _

_She still looked the same though wearing the same Team Rocket uniform that she personalised for herself and Ash wasn't ashamed to admit that she was beautiful. Her ringlet blonde hair was slightly longer now reaching to just under her shoulders instead of resting on them. He wanted her desperately for her to turn around so he could see her face. When she was finally able to push Persian away then she turned around and saw Ash standing in her boss's office looking quite comfortable in his surroundings. Her cheeks reddened before she glared at him before taking a defensive stance. _

"_What are you doing here?" she growled showing the Domino that he met at Mt. Quena. Ash admired her as she stood ready to attack him at any moment. Her violet eyes filled with determination and ferocity. She was scowling at him in the attempt to intimidate him but it only made her look cuter then she already was. She started to blush more under the scrutiny of her crush and how his eyes would look her over examining every part of her before returning to look deep into her eyes. She felt like jelly every time he studied her, her stomach felt like it had Butterfree in it, but she would not show weakness in front of him. _

"_Domino. stand down. I asked you here today because it concerns you and my son here" She gasped. _

"_H-He's your son? But…" she stammered, blushing crimson again, thinking of all the times that she thought about Ash both in private and public, knowing Giovanni was there some of the time, and most definitely heard her. Giovanni laughed at the way she was stuttering. _

"_Yes, he's my son. And I asked him to do a favour for me. I want you to go and travel with him and help him achieve his objective." Domino looked startled before hope filled her eyes. _

"_So he is now working for you, boss?" She hoped. _

"_Indirectly. I want him to do something and right a couple of wrongs that have happened for a long time. And, quite recently, only he can, or deserves to, correct them." She looked at him confused. _

"_You remember how I forbid any and all Team Rocket members form stealing or harming Delia Ketchum and her Pokémon of Pallet Town?" she nodded slightly confused at where the conversation was heading. _

"_There were some new recruits that killed her and her Pokémon that you dealt with already. Can I ask why she was the only person we weren't to interfere with?" Hesitantly having always wondered why she of all people was the one person in all the regions that they were supposed to stay away from, a single mother that didn't seem to be of any importance._

_Ash snarled darkly at hearing about his mother's murderers causing Domino to look at him in shock at hearing him make such a dark and evil noise. _

"_She is, and was once, my wife. Before I became boss of Team Rocket. And the only woman I love" he replied neutrally holding up his hand to show his wedding ring. She then realised why Ash snarled before. _

"_Ash here is the son we had together. I feel responsible for her death, so because of this, my son's hatred of Team Rocket, and through his need for revenge in mind… I asked him to find a way to bring us down as punishment for killing my Delia." Ash had a sad smile on his face; he always knew his father still loved his mother as he looked at his wedding ring. _

_It was his father's way of staying faithful to his mother. Domino, however, was shocked. 'He wants to bring down the very organisation that he is the leader of? Wait… did he say he wanted me to travel with Ash?' she thought, letting images and scenes of what travelling, and being, with Ash can bring. Meanwhile, Giovanni smirked at his son before silently saying. _

"_See? She does this every time when I mention you and travelling. Or she excuses herself and goes to her rooms to be alone" causing Ash to blush just thinking what dirty thoughts could be running and have run through in Domino's head. He also couldn't help looking her over again being mesmerised in her beauty. Snapping her out of her daydream of her and Ash together in a private moment Giovanni said. _

"_Domino. I never wanted to be head of Team Rocket my mother forced it upon me threatening to kill Delia when she was pregnant with Ash when I didn't comply with her wishes. When I did she twisted and corrupted me into what I am today. I was very much like Ash is actually. Anyway I am the head of Team Rocket and therefore am responsible for the death of the woman I love and I can't go on until I have paid for my crimes against her and all that I used to believe in." He gave her the look that he reserved for her when they were alone, the same look he would always have for Ash. The look of a father that was proud of their child, the only look that brought back a semblance of his old self. _

"_You are like a daughter to me, I want you to leave here with Ash and help him train so when defeats me you will be safe with him and out of any police radar or wanted lists." Tears escaped her eyes. _

_She always wanted to hear this from him. To hear him be proud of her, think of her as his daughter and what's more he is giving her the chance to stay with Ash, be with him and travel with him. It was like he was giving her permission to try and pursue his one and only son and the only man that she loves. _

"_OK. I will, I'll go with Ash and help him get vengeance for his mother." She replied. Giovanni nodded and turned to Ash. _

"_Your card will still be valid. My son has the spare Pokémon that I gave to you that I have in safe keeping. Call whenever you need them. You may be trying to destroy me now, but you still are my son." Ash smiled to his father walked over to him and hugged him. _

"_Thank you dad. I'll always love you." He said as he hugged his father. Domino turned away, giving them privacy of the father son moment. _

"_You have Pokémon that are Ash's?" she asked when the father and son finished hugging._

"_Yes. Where did you think that the Pokémon that I would give to you to use come from?" she was stunned.  
><em>

"_I was using Ash's Pokémon?" she whispered and blushed slightly at using something of Ash's and about how powerful they were. 'Of course they are strong Pokémon their Ash's' she thought. _

"_Yes you were" he laughed and Ash chuckled at the blush on her face. _

"_Let's go Domino, Persian we have much to do." _

"_What, Persian? You gave him Persian?" she cried. Persian was his most prized and powerful Pokémon to give him away even to his son truly meant that he was serious about ending Team Rocket. _

"_Yes. Together they will fulfil what I wanted when I was young through Ash. Together with your help I know that he will become a Pokémon master. Now go you need to leave quickly you have serious training ahead of you." He said with finality._

_Ash nodded and strode to the door with Persian walking beside him ever faithful to his master old and new and his family. Domino stood there before she ran after Ash and took a hold of his hand. Ash looked down at their intertwined fingers, surprised. He then looked up at her to see her blush and flash him a smile that radiated hope and happiness. _

_He smiled back secretly liking the way the blush made he even more beautiful and together they left that room determined that the next time that they were there would be to arrest their father. Giovanni smiled as the door closed. _

"_Good Luck you two. I know that you'll succeed. And, maybe I might one day have grandchildren waiting for me to watch over when I die and be with my Delia again._

_(Flashback ends)_

Ash was shaken from his memories by little Delia.

"Hey mister what you thinking about?" he chuckled at the innocent curiosity that was on her face.

"I was thinking about how I met my girlfriend and got one of my strongest Pokémon. Oh and you can call me Ashura" Delia blushed and then smiled again.

"OK Ashura" she squeaked before running in the direction that Ash knew the kitchen was in. Suzanne giggled off to the side.

"It would seem that you have a new admirer Ashura." Ash scratched the back of his head as chuckled to himself. "I seem to get one or more in every town and city I arrive in."

"Ooh, a ladies man." Ash shook his head and laughed

"Yeah. Domino gets real jealous at the way girls look at me as I walk down the street. Every time she looks about ready to terrify the hell out of them and away from me. Thankfully I don't think that she will see Delia as a threat" he chuckled.

He hesitated before removing his hood. Suzanne was surprised at what was underneath. Ash had long hair that reached his shoulders, the same brown eyes that he always had with a touch of blue showing through, displaying that Ash now used aura regularly. He also had a long scar down is face from the far end of his left eye brow, over his eye and the bridge of his nose and ending on his jaw line.

Suzanne could see why all of the girls liked him. Why if she was a little younger she would be throwing herself at him his face. He didn't have any baby fat showing proud sculpted aristocratic face and the scar made him look dangerous but also able to handle himself when in trouble and his eyes felt like they were looking straight into her soul.

She could also see that he took great care of his body as she could see his firm chest that his muscle shirt displayed clinging to his body. She guessed that he was about 5ft 10, maybe 5ft 11. She could see a resemblance to Ash as well. But she knew that Ash didn't have touches of blue in his eyes as Ashura did or that scar. 'That's impossible. They look almost the same. But take out the blue in his eyes and the scar and put a cap in his head and he may as well be Ash's clone.' She thought to herself.

"Well… come this way. The kitchen is just down the hall." She said, slightly rattled at seeing a near Ash look alike. As they walked, she remembered something.

"You said that you had a girlfriend? Who is she? What's she like?" she asked, hoping she didn't seem too intrusive. It, also, would be good to see if he was telling the truth. After all, if he was, he couldn't be Ash. He was too oblivious when it came to romance.

"Her name's Domino. And she's very kind and beautiful. My father introduced us. She likes to play around with my Pokémon a lot too. Her favourites are Pikachu here and Persian." He replied as he got out Persian's ball and threw it down the hall.

"Meow." Persian cried as it left its pokéball. It looked at Ash and walked over to him and Suzanne before rubbing its head against her leg.

"Wow, what a friendly Pokémon." She gasped almost falling over as Persian rubbed his head on her leg.

"Yeah. Persian is one of my more mellow Pokémon along with Pikachu, Lucario, Willow, Rose and Gabriel."

She looked at him, wondering what his other Pokémon were.

"What are they?" she asked, intrigued, as they entered the kitchen.

"Well Lucario is a Lucario, Willow is a Gardevoir, Rose is her little sister, and a Kirlia, and Gabriel is a Gallade, and Willow's mate. Both Willow and Rose are shiny Pokémon."

"Wow you seem to be focused on Psychic Pokémon."

Ash shook his head "Not really. It's just that I found Willow and Rose at the same time. Their parents were being attacked by Pokémon poachers. I wasn't able to save their mother but I gave her enough time to ask me telepathically to take them both and raise them as my own; their father was dead before I arrived, torn apart by the poacher's Pokémon. Willow was a Ralts at the time and Rose was still an egg" He chuckled to himself. "I think I took that too literally as I think of them both as daughters."

Suzanne smiled to herself. "And Gabriel and Lucario. How did you get them?"

"Lucario was a friend that I met when he was being hunted by poachers as a Riolu. I returned him return to his master but he was very old. I got a letter from him two years after asking me to take Riolu as mine before he passed on and Gabriel well there were no poachers this time. I simply found him in a forest in Sinnoh wounded after he took on more than he could chew. He chose his name after reading some book that had and man called Gabriel as the hero or angel I never read the book to find out. He followed me after that wanting me to train him and help him become stronger that and he liked Willow, took a hell of a lot for him to earn the right to court her I will tell you." She nodded giggling knowing how fiercely a father would protect his daughter before heading over to the stove to start cooking breakfast while Ash and Pikachu watched Persian play with Delia.

'Say, Ash… when are you and Domino going to have kids?' Pikachu asked him. Ash stuttered.

"I-I don't know Pikachu, when we are ready." 'Ready? Of course you two are ready. You already go at it like a pair of Rattata during mating season. In other words… all the time it's a wonder how you ever have time to train.' He teased him Ash stuttered.

"S-so? That doesn't mean that we are ready for a child yet. After all… I still need to keep my promise to father and a life on the road is no place for a baby. And what do you mean by that? We don't do it that often." 'Yes, but you wish you did.' Pikachu sighed 'I suppose you're right though, but it would feel nice to have a little one travelling around with us.'

"What about Rose? Is she not enough for you anymore?" Pikachu glared at him. 'Of course she is. I just mean I would like to see you and Domino start a family. (Sigh) Even with Domino, you've changed so much since when your mum was alive. Even now, I can see the mask that you wear when out in public and the only time that you show any true emotion is when you are hunting Team Rocket or some other criminal organisation. Or with Domino and I, as your friend, - personally - like you better when you are with Domino.' he told him shaking his head.

"I know old friend. But I can't let go not until I have accomplished what I set out to do." 'The complete destruction of Team Rocket I know that but there are times I wish to see our old friends again and see the old you.'

"You know that's not possible Pikachu. not after that night" he whispered thinking of the night he was accused of being the reason for his mother's death by Flint and Norman after the funeral.

Little did they know Suzanne was listening on the conversation. Well… at least Ash's side of the conversation. 'Could this really be Ash? Could he have come home to see his mother?' the more she thought about it the more it seemed true. 'Well if he doesn't want to tell anyone I won't stop him it's good to see him healthy.' Happy to see that Ash was well after five long years she then looked at Delia, Eevee and Persian playing. 'Oh Delia you would have been proud of the man your son has turned out to be.'

Soon the food was done and on the table. There was bacon and eggs, toast, pancakes and English muffins. 'Time to see if you really are Ash Ketchum only he would be able to eat such a huge amount of food, they're all his favourites too' she thought. Together they all ate breakfast with Persian and Pikachu eating some of Ash's homemade Pokéchow.

"Where are you other Pokémon Ashura?" Delia asked. "They're with Domino. I have about 60 to 80 Pokémon in all, and she carries them around. I only really need two or three to defend myself, and all of my Pokémon know to follow any and all orders that she gives them. And Lucario is probably in the nearby forest eating some berries and other fruits. He may be comfortable around humans, but he prefers to eat fruits in the forest then my Pokéchow. Most of my Pokémon do, since I live up on Mt Silver."

Suzanne nodded, intrigued that he lived on one of the most dangerous mountains in the world and continued eating. She then turned to him and asked. "Why isn't she with you?"

"I wanted to look for some Pokémon to capture yesterday morning. I lost track of time and ended up near Pallet. Domino is probably at our hotel room sleeping still. I do this all the time so she won't be too worried when she wakes" he lied. Domino knew he was like that, but he always called her if he was going to be away for the night. She nodded to herself. 'Getting here from Viridian city can take a day and night or even shorter since Ash got there in one day. You win this round' she thought still trying to work out if Ashura was Ash.

Once all of the food was eaten Suzanne was sure that Ashura was Ash he ate most of the food and it looks like he could eat even more. 'Maybe Ashura was his full name but where did Satoshi come from? His father's name perhaps? After all Delia hardly ever mentioned him. I don't think I ever got his name. Maybe it's his.' Ash sighed happily patting his stomach that now has some food in it.

"Thank you for the meal, but I must get going. I should get back before Domino starts to get really worried." He stood up and waited for Suzanne and Delia to stand and going to the front door before thanking them again and giving them both a hug. 'Yes he hugs the same way that Ash used to hug me too' Suzanne thought feeling Ash's arms wrapped around her waist in a firm but gentle hold, a warm hug given only to family.

"Goodbye Suzanne, Delia" he said before walking out the door.

"Bye Ashura, bye Pikachu, bye Persian" Delia yelled as Ash walk towards the road out of Pallet Town with Pikachu on his shoulder and Persian next to him.

He saw someone walking towards him when he was getting close to his old house. He looked closer squinting his eyes to see that it was Domino. She was stood in front of the gate. She was as beautiful as the first time he met her. She had grown her hair out for the last five years it now reached to her waist. She still had a liking for black and white as she wore a black pleated skirt that reached just above her knees showing off her legs, black shoes and white socks. She had on a slightly lighter black t-shirt that had a white pokéball symbol on her side. It hugged her every curve showing off her body perfectly and finally a black beret also with a white pokéball symbol on the front perched on her head. Ash walked over to her after he finished admiring his girlfriend and lover and wrapped his arms around her shoulders feeling her lean into the hug and closer to his warmth.

"What are you here? I thought you were going to the mall today to buy some new clothes and other supplies before we left for Sinnoh?" he asked.

"I wanted to see where you grew up. After all, you've seen the orphanage that I grew up in, I only felt it right to come and see it for myself. I also wanted to pay respects to your mother for creating the perfect man for me." She whispered to him enjoying the closeness and the slow rhythmic beating of his heart as she burrowed herself deeper into his chest.

"Thank you. But we need to get going. My old friends will be here soon and I want to be gone before they arrive." Domino sighed and nodded her head into his chest knocking her beret around on her head. Ash let go and turned to leave with Persian at his heel. As he walked away Domino turned back to the blackened ruin that was once the home of Ash and Delia Ketchum.

"Thank you for all you've done to make him who he is. Thank you so much" she whispered to the wind, hoping that it would carry her words all the way to the woman who gave birth to the one she loved. A tear rolled down her cheek from her knowing that she would never meet the person who raised Ash to be the good, kind-hearted man he was.

Down the road, all of Ash's old friends; Brock, Misty, Gary Oak, May, Max, Dawn and Tracy along with Professor Oak and their parents and family were wondering up the road to visit Delia's grave. Professor Oak looked up to see Ash and Domino standing in front of Ash's house.

"Who are they?" He wondered making everyone look at Ash and Domino.

"I don't know do you want to ask them?" asked Caroline also curious as to who the strangers were. Before a decision could be made Ash walked away leaving with Persian.

Domino continued to stare at the ruins Professor Oak saw her talking and but couldn't make out the words he also saw her shed a tear that caught the sunlight as it rolled down her cheek before she turned away and followed Ash.

"Oh well. Looks like they're gone, so we can't ask them now." Max muttered sadly.

"Heheh. She's pretty" Brock replied. But just as he was about to go into one of his pretty girl episodes, his Toxicroak poison jabbed him and dragged him off. All his friends and family ignored it as it happened all the time.

"We can if we run and catch up to them" May said trying to stop Max being sad and also curious herself. Just as they were all about to run after the mysterious couple they were stopped by a Lucario.

"My goodness what is a Lucario doing in Kanto?" Professor Oak cried

"Whoever you're after, they're not my master or mistress. Leave them alone. Go back to your mourning. And you stop perving on my mistress." Everyone was shocked that the Lucario talked and that he pointed at Brock.

"How did you know we were coming to see a person that passed away?" Gary demanded Lucario just ignored him before turning in its heel and running after its master.

"Hello. How is everyone today?" Suzanne asked shortly after Lucario could be barely seen in the distance.

"Fine Suzanne it is just that we saw a couple standing in front of Ash's house and when we were about to go after them a Lucario stopped us" replied Dawn's mother Johanna.

"That must be Ashura and his girlfriend Domino she must have come looking for him, I told Ashura about Delia he must have been paying his respects." They all looked at her.

"Who is Ashura?" Lola asked.

"He's a nice man who saved me and Eevee from some bad people wearing black clothes with red R's on them from stealing Eevee" beamed Delia happy that she could sing praises about her new hero.

"Yes. He saved Delia from being attacked by Team Rocket. I asked him over for breakfast to thank him for saving her. I told him about Delia and Ash when he looked at some of the photos I have of them" she clarified to the group. "He has a really friendly Pikachu and Persian. Very strong too. It simply rubbed it head in my leg and nearly pushed me over in affection." Suzanne remembered.

"A Persian you say?" Professor Oak asked with a thoughtful look on his face.

"You don't think that its Ash's dad's do you grandpa?" asked Gary. 'It's entirely possible for Giovanni to have given Persian to Ash to help him in his quest since he had the same dream Ash had before he was forced to take over Team Rocket.'

He thought "It may be have been Gary. I wouldn't be surprised if Ash chose this day to visit his mother, since it was been five years since she passed away, either."

"But that Lucario said it wasn't Ash why would it need to lie? And why did it know that we were coming to see Ash's mom" asked max as he scrunched up his brow.

"Pokémon can lie just as effectively as humans can Max. maybe even better. A Pokémon that requires as much loyalty as Lucario to evolve from Riolu and had the patience to learn to talk wouldn't think twice to lie if it thought it would protect its trainer. And if Ashura happened to be an aura wielder it is entirely possible that he bonded with that Lucario and is able to talk to it telepathically through that bond." Professor Oak replied in his teaching voice.

"Momma. What's aura?" asked Delia a picture of pure innocence as she tugged on Suzanne's dress.

"Aura, Delia, is the life force of everything that is around us. Rocks, tree, rivers, Pokémon and humans all have aura. Aura wielders are able to manipulate this force to their will and do a great many things like use it as a weapon, to heal something or someone and in self-defence; it's also said that they are able bring life back to nature that has been damaged or destroyed. Aura wielders that use it to protect the balance of nature and the good for all are called Aura Guardians. They protect people, Pokémon and nature against things that want to hurt or destroy them it is even said that they can hear the voice of nature." Professor Oak lectured.

"Then Ashura was an Aura Guardian. He got bitten by a Rattata when he was trying to protect me and Eevee and he didn't even need a band aid" replied a smiling Delia happy that she was able to work that out. Professor Oak however was shocked.

"He must be then. And a powerful one too because if he got bitten by a Rattata he would have had a terrible bite and would have been bleeding everywhere he may have even needed stitches." May remembered something.

"Hey wasn't Ash able to use aura? You know Brock? When we were at Cameron Palace in Rota?"

"Yeah." He could remember. "He helped Sir Aaron's Lucario heal mew so it could fix the Tree of Beginning because he had the same Aura as Sir Aaron and could use his gloves as a focus to use his Aura." May started to get upset.

"So you mean that we may have seen Ash and now we missed the chance at talk to him again?" Gary nodded with his Grandfather.

"Did you say that Ash's dad had a Persian" Brock asked Gary.

"Yes I did, I only knew his dad for a short time during the days he visited Ash when we were young before he stopped coming but wherever he was there Persian was always with him. It had a soft spot for Ash as well; it was always letting him ride it."

"Who is his dad?" Brock asked interested in who was the man who raised Ash.

"That's for him to tell you Brock. If you ever see him again it is not our place to say. It is something that is too personal to Ash and Delia all I will say is that his father was once a great man" The professor replied. He looked on into the distance where Ash and Domino left in 'was it truly you Ash?' he wondered before leading the others out to the back of the house.

* * *

><p>There first chapter has begun of the return of Ash Ketchum I don't intent to have Ash take on Team Rocket yet he will want to test his strength before then so he is going to be travelling for a while. This is my first story so constrictive criticism would be welcome but please no flames.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon Satoshi Tajiri does.

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

After everyone returned to Professor Oak's laboratory, they all split up into groups. The girls left with to play with Delia and her Eevee. The parents went into the lounge to have a quiet chat, and the boys went outside to look at the Pokémon. Everyone seemed to have put the strangers that they saw at the back of their minds. Except two people; Professor Oak and Suzanne. Together, they left the lounge and the other parents, and went into the study area. It was a little different from the lab. The study was filled with bookcases that had books of stories, Pokémon legends and the archives of Professor Oak's research from years ago. It had a more family oriented feel to it.

The large hardwood desk was a deep red, as was the chair behind it. The walls were a dark green and the floor was wood panelling. In the corner were two large dark green arm chairs and a large couch and a coffee table beside a lit fireplace. Suzanne imagined this was where the Professor would read books and stories to Gary when he was young. She knew that this was going to be an interrogation of Ashura's time at her house. The professor had been one of the people most affected from Ash's disappearance.

Having known Ash from birth and Delia since she was once one of his students with Spencer Hale, he saw Ash as a second grandson, watching him grow into the young man his was as he travelled with his friends. She sat down in one of the armchairs and watched him as he paced around the room, letting him collect his thoughts. His steps echoed in the quiet room with only the crackling of the fire as its companion. Every step he made, she knew, drew closer to the inevitable questions that he was going to ask her.

"Suzanne, do you think that Ashura is Ash." He asked looking straight at her. She was taken by surprised at the sudden question but answered.

"Yes Samuel, I do. Although, he was very different from the Ash we know. But, there were also too many similarities between the two to believe that they're two different people." He looked at her, intrigued at how she reached such a decision in such short a time.

"How can you tell so easily Suzanne?" She gave him a slightly offended look.

"I was there most of his life. I helped raise him. Please, I've known him since he was five, so don't think that I can't tell the difference between Ash and a total stranger." He sighed and sat down on one of the chairs and looked down.

"I'm sorry Suzanne. It's just hard to believe that I may have seen Ash after five long years."

They sat in the silence, no one willing - or able - to break it. While they were in the study they failed to see or hear that Gary, Brock, Tracy and Max had come back inside and overheard the start of their discussion. When they heard Ash and Ashura they instantly crept over to the door to try and listen in some more.

"How's he been Suzanne? Has anything changed about him?" he wondered, hoping not and - if so - that they were only small changes.

"There are a few changes. For example, he seems to have gotten over his obliviousness of romance… or his attempts to make people to believe that he's oblivious. That woman you saw at his house? Well I believe that it to be Domino, his girlfriend. And, from the way he spoke about her, he seemed to have been with her for a very long time. I almost got the impression that she's the reason why Ash is still very much like he used to be. But you can see the changes that she has created in him too, all of which seem to be good."

"So Ash has a girlfriend." The old man mused. "And you say her name is Domino?" he asked, having an inkling on who Domino was.

Suzanne picked up on this straightaway "You know who she is, don't you?"

"Did Ash say that his father was the one that introduced them?" he inquired, only to be answered by the shock on her face.

"Yes. But how could you have possibly known that?" she demanded.

Professor oak sighed and pulled himself out of his favourite chair before making his way over to the window that was in near his desk. He looked out to see some of the Pokémon playing around one of which happened to be a small Meowth that was one of the Pokémon that he looked after for a trainer.

"What I'm about to tell you is not to leave this room. Understood?" He turned to Suzanne for confirmation of their agreement. She nodded, silently. "If any of Ash's friends learned of this before he could tell them, if he ever tells them, then I don't know how they'll react." His voice was heavy with the secrets that he was about to tell her. "Ash's father's name is Giovanni Satoshi. He was one of the best, and most talented, Pokémon trainers that I ever had the privilege to meet. That was… until the day he saved Delia from his own mother." He turned around to look give her a stern look.

She seemed too afraid ask, somehow knowing that it would change the way she saw the ones she looked to as family. "What happened, Samuel? Did something happen to him?"

"When he saved Delia it came at a price. That price was he was meant to take over 'the family business.' Suzanne… he was forced to become head of Team Rocket." She gasped, remembering what Ash muttered when his looked at the picture back home.

The four boys hiding couldn't believe what they heard. Ash was the son of the leader of one the most evil criminal organisations known. The same organisation that haunted his footsteps ever since the start of his Pokémon journey. They were so shocked that they collapsed over each other, landing in a tangled mess of limbs. Professor Oak stormed over to the door and looked out to see his grandson, Brock, Tracey and Max mangled together on the floor.

"What did you hear?" he demanded in a tone that sent shivers down all their spines. Never had they heard Professor Oak speak with such hostility and anger in his voice, besides Gary and he knew it was only when his was furious.

"Nothing, Professor. We only tripped and fell over. We didn't hear anything about Ash's dad" Tracey said, before realising he blew their cover. Professor Oak growled once again before ordering them into the room. They all rushed in fear of feeling his wrath.

"All of you will be silent until I've finished explaining. It'll all become clear in the end." The four boys nodded quickly after they had sat down on the couch.

After a quick, but terrifying, glare towards them, the professor continued "As I was saying… his father is now head of Team Rocket. It's one of the many reasons that Ash has such a hatred for Team Rocket.

"Ash hates his own father?" asked Max. His eyes grew large with fear as he didn't follow the professor's command.

"No. Completely the opposite, actually. He loves his father dearly. He just hates Team Rocket for taking his father away from him and his mother." Professor Oak responded, knowing it was useless for the boys to be silent in this discussion.

He went over to one of the many bookcases that lined the room and pulled out a large photo album. Having retrieved the book, he carried it over to the coffee table and carefully placed it down and opened it. Inside was a collection of pictures of different men and women. Some of the pictures had Delia Ketchum in them with a man. All the pictures of Delia also featured this man who looked like Ash hugging her and waving at the camera.

"This is Ash's dad?" Tracey asked looking at the photos. Everyone looked at the album and in every picture that had Giovanni and Delia in it always showed them having smiles on their faces.

"Yes Tracey. This is before he became head of Team Rocket. And, as I said, I was glad I had the privilege to meet such a man."

"You make it sound like he's dead." Gary looked at his grandfather.

"The man you see in these pictures is dead Gary. All that remains is an empty shell that is filled with guilt, anger and evil. His mother twisted him into what now remains of Giovanni Satoshi." He then turned to Suzanne "Do you remember the Satoshi murder that was televised on TV twenty years ago?" She nodded, sadly.

"How could I forget? It was said to be one of the most gruesome murders that was ever… what you're not telling me that…?"

"Yes. That was Ash's grandmother… Giovanni's mother. Soon after his 'training' was complete, she retired. But…" He stifled a shudder. "Well, you know what happened to her. It was Giovanni. It was he way or getting revenge for threatening to kill Delia and Ash. He probably killed the two that murdered Delia too. He may only be a shadow of his former self, but never think that his love for his wife and son will ever leave him. Ash seemed to be the only thing that could bring the old Giovanni back to life."

Professor Oak's mind drifted off to a time when Giovanni and Delia were young again, together playing different games. Spencer Hale threatening Giovanni never to harm Delia when they started dating. It was such a long time ago, but he could still remember the love that they shared for each other. And how it seemed to radiate off them. They seemed to be attached to the hip, only ever detaching when they had to return home or for a battle. He could still remember seeing Giovanni at the hospital holding little Ash. It was the first of the very few occurrences when you would see the young Giovanni shining through the darkness that had taken a hold of him.

"So those times that he visited Ash when we were young?" Gary asked.

"They were the only times that you would ever see him, the true him the man who wanted peace on Earth and to becomes friends with every Pokémon on the planet. He stopped coming soon after Ash's fifth birthday, not long before you moved into your house, Suzanne. He feared Team Rockets' enemies would find out and use them against him." He nodded to her.

"Why didn't you tell the police who he was? Then Team Rocket wouldn't be around anymore!" demanded Max, shocked that one of the leading Pokémon researchers in the world would allow to Team Rocket to exist.

"If I did so, Max, everyone would have found out that Ash is his son and Delia his wife. They would never have had a normal life. They would only be known as the wife and son of a crime lord that ruined so many lives. Ash didn't deserve to be exiled from birth, on the belief that he would cause pain and suffering when he grew up, and Delia didn't deserve it either. Could you have done it Max? Say to the world that one of your closest friends and assistants was the wife to such a man? Could you do that to Dawn? Or Misty? Or Brock? Or any of your other friends?"

Max stuck his nose up in the air before replying. "None of my friends would have married a criminal."

"Neither did Delia. To her, Giovanni was the man she loved. He never told her who he was heir to until after their relationship was long term. He swore to her never to become the leader of Team Rocket. But, one day, Delia was kidnapped. And the only way to save her and their unborn child was to join." He shuddered. "I can't imagine what that woman put him through, but it must have been horrible to turn such a good man into what he's become." He turned to the young boy, with a darkly nostalgic shade in his eye.

"Max… just because someone is born into a bad family doesn't mean that they're destined to be the same. Everyone here has some good and bad in them. It's just… sometimes, the best of us are born from the darkness. And the very worst are born from the light. Just as there are those that would allow themselves to become dark if it meant they protected the ones the loved." Suzanne scolded the boy, giving him a glare. "I know I would do it if there was no other way to save Delia." She said as she looked down at her feet.

"Yeah, Max. Look at Paul, for instance. He trains his Pokémon to the extent that many would call it abuse and sees them as nothing more than tools. While his brother sees the good in all Pokémon, and tries his hardest to bring that inner strength out" Brock added.

Max looked down at his feet as he processed what he was told. He felt ashamed to have ever said anything. He knew Ash and his mom, they were some of the kindest people that he ever met. Ash would always try his best to protect everyone, human and Pokémon alike from the forces of evil or from destruction. And Delia seemed to be the nicest woman he ever met. Somehow, he also knew deep down that Ash didn't save the world as penance for his father's crimes. But simply because it was the right thing to do.

"I'm sorry. I-I never thought of it that way" he mumbled as he sat there looking at his shoes.

"It's alright Max. It was something I knew I was going to be accused of. But I have often thought of doing just what you said at times, after Ash made a name for himself as a respected trainer." Professor Oak replied to him with a kind smile.

Everyone sat in an uncomfortable silence, no one wanting to break it. Brock decided that the topic was finished, and back pedalled to one of the topics that this conversation began with. He remembered something about Ash having a girlfriend called Domino and that his father introduced him.

"Hmm… if Ash's dad is leader of Team Rocket… and he introduced Ash to his girlfriend… does that means that Domino girl that we meet on Mt Quena? The 'Black Tulip'?" Brock queried.

"Yes. You're right, Brock. Which is also one of the reasons why I think that I know what Ash's and Giovanni's ultimate objective is." Professor Oak confirmed.

"Does this have something to do with Ash and his dad's Persian, too?" Gary asked, happy to be on a different topic.

Professor Oak nodded before he headed over to one of the filing cabinets that held all of the licenses that he issued to trainers over the years. When he found what he was looking for, he pulled out the file and closed the draw letting it slide closed with a dull thud.

"This is Giovanni's Pokémon Licence that I filed when he got his trainer's licence when he was ten. If you see here… his first Pokémon was a Meowth. The same Meowth that evolved into Persian and now is travelling around with Ash."

Everyone examined the file. They saw within it all of his Pokémon that he had and raised, what his accomplishments were and the times when his accomplished them. They were shocked that though the years he was so similar to Ash you could almost say that they were looking at his file if it were not for the dates slight changes in the finishing ranking of the Pokémon conferences and a couple of the different Pokémon that he had.

"Wow. That Persian must be very powerful if it's lived that long." Max gushed.

"That's not what the Professor means by showing this to us, Max." Suzanne said and looked to Professor Oak. "Why would he give his first Pokémon to his son?"

He looked at her gravely, wondering if he should tell her what he thought it meant. "I take it that it's a message that he wants to send to Ash. Giovanni would sooner die before giving Persian away. Just like Ash would Pikachu. He's telling Ash that he thinks his time is up, and wants Ash to be his end. He obviously blames himself completely for Delia's death and wants Ash to be the one to kill him so he can get some form of vengeance." Everyone stared at him in shock.

"How can he think of asking his own son to kill him?" Max whispered he could see himself hurting his father accidentally like hitting his thumb with a hammer when missing a nail or something, but to actually and deliberately kill him seemed too impossible for him to imagine.

"That's why I think he introduced Domino to Ash. She was a member of Team Rocket, and may have killed before. So having her with him, and training him, may cause him to be able to kill." Professor Oak replied hearing Max.

"I think he already has, Samuel. When he talked about Team Rocket it was with such hatred… his eyes seemed to darken for a second. As if he was remembering a dark memory. And then… he had a small smirk on his face." Suzanne paled at thought of Ash killing someone.

"Domino was a high member of Team Rocket, so it's possible that she helped Ash to set aside his values and kill when he believes that it's necessary to protect something." Professor Oak said.

"But Professor… how can she even remember Ash? Mewtwo wiped all of the minds of Team Rocket of his existence. We didn't run into her again anywhere." Brock commented.

"You're under the impression that she knew him personally, just as when they were introduced. For all we know they might have hated each other when Giovanni paired them up. Although, I wouldn't think it impossible for Namba to figure out a way to reverse the effect of a mind wipe. After all, you can't remove a memory from someone's mind… you can only block a memory from being accessed."

"How do you know so much about the human mind Professor?" Tracey asked.

"The human mind is similar to that of some Pokémon. In some ways, our minds are tiny compared to theirs. For instance, an Alakazam would have more brain power then all of us in this room combined.

I also know that you cannot erase traumatic, or important, events and memories that we experience. The brain can only prevent the person from remembering it by locking it away deep in our subconscious."

"So it's possible that Domino and Giovanni remember, but if so… why haven't they tried to capture Mewtwo again?" Brock questioned

"Isn't it simple? Ash asked him not to." The professor replied. "The only thing that could stop Giovanni trying to capture a legendary Pokémon is if Ash asked him to leave it alone. Even now, Giovanni would keep his promise. Capturing a Pokémon that Ash has placed under his protection would force Ash to reciprocate and try and save it. If he truly asked him to destroy Team Rocket, he would want to do it on Ash's terms, allowing him to be fully prepared when he attacks instead of forcing the confrontation; causing Ash to start his assault on Team Rocket prematurely."

Close to the window, three figures were listening on the conversation that was being discussed within the study. One was a man with blue hair and green eyes. The second was a woman with magenta hair, who had a scowl on her face. And the last figure was a Meowth.

"It seems that the old man and the male twerps have caught onto the boss's identity" murmured the Scratch cat Pokémon.

"It seems so. They also know about his girlfriend too. And they're, very accurately, guessing several other facts about the boss." The man agreed nodding his head with a stern look on his face.

"Quiet you two. I can't hear what they are saying. We need to gather as much Intel as we can and find out and how much they can piece together so we can report to the boss what the twerps know" growled the woman.

"Sorry Jessie" the two replied before becoming silent again to listen into more of the conversation.

"Professor… what are we going to do with what we know? Are we going to confront Ash straight away? Are we just going to keep this between ourselves?" Asked Tracey

"For now, we're going to keep Ashura's real identity a secret. Knowing Ash, he's doing so to keep us safe from Team Rocket and any other criminal organisation that he's fighting, and preventing us from aiding him - thus shielding us from harm. And seeing as he's met Suzanne again. I hope that it means that he wants to meet us again" Professor Oak decided.

"You know, it makes me wonder." Brock said to himself contemplatively.

"What, Brock?" Max asked intrigued at what Brock might have figured out.

"I was thinking that maybe Jessie, James and Meowth might possibly far better Team Rocket agents than we thought. Were they truly trying to steal all of the Pokémon that they tried to steal over the years or were they elaborate attempts and disguises to hide what their real job was. Maybe they were sent to follow Ash through his journeys to help aid and protect him whenever he needed assistance or protection." He explained to the others in the room and causing the three spies outside to get a little nervous.

"Now that you mention it, there were times that they helped us throughout our travels. For instance… the time at Shamouti Island when Ash needed to get the three treasures of Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno. They said it was for their own good, but… it's possible that they may have been ordered to help Ash by his father whenever he needed help." Tracey remembered thinking back to his time with Ash, Misty and Shamouti Island resident Melody and how they saved the world with Lugia.

"I've been thinking of my time traveling with Ash, since I spent the most time travelling with him, and… I've noticed several other times that they helped him when we really needed it." Brock said to the others in the room.

"I wouldn't put it beyond Giovanni to send some of his men to watch over his son. But if you're right about them, then they must be high members in Team Rocket and much better than what you believed they were." Commented Professor Oak.

The three spies outside were getting nervous at how accurate the twerps and the professor were about their true objective of following Ash around was.

"Jessie, they're getting everything so close to the truth that it's starting to worry me. What if they work out what the Boss's up to and what his current plans are?" James asked his female accomplice.

"The Boss is going to follow through with his plans no matter what. If it means anything, we might need to keep the twerps occupied while the boss and Domino are doing whatever they've planned. Or, if the old man is right, and he meets them as his fake self… we're going to be there to help him." Jessie replied.

"Quiet. They're discussing something, and I can't hear them over you two coming up with theories. We're here to find out what they can figure out. Let the boss find a way to complete his plans" Meowth ordered.

"So what are we going to do? I know Ash is trying to protect us, but if he's going against Team Rocket, he'll need our help." Max asked everyone in the room.

"There's nothing we can do Max. We don't know where Ash is by now, he would've left Viridian City by now, so we can't find him there. And, even if he is there, how are we going to find him? He said that he was staying in a hotel, not at the Pokémon Centre, so he'll be impossible to find. The best thing to do is for you to head to Sinnoh, enter the Sinnoh league, and hope that he'll be there. Cynthia is still the Champion there, and considered the strongest of all the Champions in the five regions. He's already won the orange league, so he may go to Sinnoh and try to win there and face Cynthia as a test to see if he's ready to face his father." Suzanne replied.

Max wanted to argue, but when he thought about the facts, he knew that Suzanne's option was the only sensible one. He sighed to himself, and wondered if he would ever see Ash again. He was a great mentor to him when he travelled with him through Hoenn and Kanto. Ash and Brock were like big brothers to him and he missed his brother dearly.

"OK. Then it's settled. You should go tell the others your plans, Max. And remember… all of you… that you're not to mention to anyone what you've been told in this room." Professor Oak told the four boys as they got up.

All four boys nodded their heads and left the room, closing the door behind them. Professor Oak waited a few minutes before walking over to the door and opening it again and dodged the mass of limbs that fell into the room. He glared at the four boys who got up and fled the room. Professor Oak waited for their footsteps to recede before closing the door again.

"You have something to tell me that you don't want the boys to know, Samuel. What is it?" Suzanne looked at the aged Professor questioningly.

"They don't need to know why Ash decided to disappear. Especially Max and Brock, not yet." He sighed.

As Suzanne looked at Professor Oak. She could see that life was catching up with him. He was slowly losing that strength in his eyes that he once had, and he seemed far older now, that he was letting it show and seemed to move slower too. She looked down at the coffee table. She was saddened with the fact that he was reaching the end of his years. She only hoped that he would be able to hold his grandson in all but blood before his time had come. Professor Oak noticed Suzanne's actions, and he seemed to know what she was thinking when he said what he had.

"Don't worry about me, Suzanne. I still have a few years left in me. But… it's comforting to know that there's going to be a family that Gary can rely on when I'm gone." He smiled softly to her.

He walked over to his computer he had on his desk, and waved his hand over to her, asking her to come over. She rose from her seat and strolled over to the computer and was surprised to see a picture of Ash, Flint and Norman on the monitor.

"After the first time that Jessie, James and Meowth attacked my laboratory, I had some security cameras placed all around it as a precautionary measure. This is the recording of the night before Ash's disappearance." He told her before pressing the play button.

Meanwhile, Meowth was following Brock, Max, Gary and Tracey to see what their plans were for entering the Sinnoh league.

"Is it possible that Ash will be there this year, Brock? Because he hasn't been there in the five years he's been missing?" Max asked.

"It's possible, Max. You already have all your badges to enter. We only came here to pay our respects to Ash's mum, and there won't be enough time to get to all of the gyms before the Lily of the Valley Conference starts, so unless he has already gone to the gyms – he'll be using his first badges to enter again." Brock replied to his blue haired friend.

"What do you mean Brock? Won't he have to get the badges again to qualify for the conference?" Asked Tracey.

"No. you're, actually, qualified to enter a Conference five years after you have the badges, and are allowed to use them multiple times in that year limit. It's because Trainers constantly face other trainers and are always making their Pokémon stronger and devising new ways of winning, so it's believed that if a trainer could defeat a gym leader one year, they can do so in the next couple of years afterwards if they continue training. There was actually and experiment that proved the theory years ago. They set the limit at five years because it was that time the gym battles started to become evened out between trainer and gym leader. After all, there might be some trainers that take a break from training for a year or two… while gym leaders are constantly battling and getting stronger" Brock answered Tracey before he continued. "Contests are different because co-ordinators constantly need to learn new ways of creating beautiful sights that show off their Pokémon with different moves or by using different Pokémon, so it makes it a lot more varied and impossible to predict like gym battles. May or Dawn, for instance, might try to enter the Hoenn's grand festival this year and win at every contest they enter and the grand festival, but enter next year and fail to get one ribbon because of the different minds of the Co-ordinator's that enter the contests. Gym battles are about strategy and tactics that a trainer shows and the skills and knowledge they've gained of Pokémon types and their own Pokémon's strength and skills." Brock explaining to his friend.

"So, we're going to Sinnoh on the off chance that Ash decides to enter… because this is the last year that his badges are valid for him to enter? Wouldn't it be better for him to go through the gyms again and gained the badges through his alias so he doesn't have to enter the league under _that_ name, rather than as himself?" Max asked disbelievingly.

"No. if Ash wants to enter this year, he'll do it under his true name, and face the elite four and Cynthia as Ash rather than Ashura. After all, Paul might enter again. And Ash'll see hiding behind his alias as cowardly, as though he isn't facing him as himself." Gary said to his friends.

"Besides… if anyone knows Ash best, it's Suzanne. After all, she did help raise him. So she would know best about how he would react." Tracey said

"Makes me wonder how she knew about the five year rule since it's not a well-known fact." Brock said thinking aloud.

Meowth waited for anything else that could be related to Ash. When he realised that they were talking about preparations for their trip, he returned to Jessie and James. When he saw them, he noticed that they were angrier than he had seen them in years.

"What's the matter Jessie?" he asked knowing this was serious.

"Oh. Meowth. We just found out why the boss decided to leave the twerps and travel alone. Well… with Domino, and not with them, anyway" she fumed.

"It seems that Squinty twerp and four eyes twerp's dads yelled at him, and accused him of being the reason why his mother was killed the night of her funeral." James spat.

Meowth was shocked. Even with him working for the boss now he still prided himself on being one bad cat, and even he wouldn't rub something like that in someone's face while their mother was still warm in her grave.

"Come on, you two. We need to report to the boss about what we've learned. We'll take care of the gym leaders later. He needs to know that he'll see the twerps at the Sinnoh League."

Jessie and James settled down a little, knowing that Meowth that right, and headed for the car that Ash had bought for them to use. James got into the driver's seat, with Jessie sitting next to him and Meowth sitting in the back. As they drove off, Professor Oak was still trying to calm Suzanne down, who looked like she was going to cut off two gym leaders manhood's with a rusty knife.

"How dare they do that to Ash, right after he buried his mother!" She fumed. She looked around the room, looking for something until her eye's rested on the poker next to the fire. As she moved towards it as a weathered hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Don't Suzanne. Think of what'll become of Max and Brock if they found out the reason for their brother disappearing was their own fathers. And what of Brock's younger siblings? You know as well as I they look to Ash as an older brother. This is something that I know Ash wouldn't want you to do. I showed you this because I thought you should know the truth. Now settle down."

Suzanne gave a little resistance before giving up sat down in one of the chairs and started to cry.

"It's because of them though Samuel. It's because of them that I lost not only Delia but Ash too. I wanted Ash to be there for my Delia as a big brother. To help raise her with me. But because of them he's only just met her, and doesn't even realise that she is his goddaughter" she said.

Professor Oak raised an eyebrow. "You named Ash as her Godfather? I never knew that."

"Yes, I did. I knew that, even if I was to die and leave Delia without a mother and father, that Ash would come and look after her. I didn't know how… but I knew that he would hear of my death and his role as Godfather and come and care for her." Her sobs started to die down and her speech easier to understand.

"I guess I didn't know that he would find out through a criminal organisation rather than police or the Pokémon G-men or something similar."

The professor walked over to her chair and pulled her into a hug. Suzanne started to cry once again in his arms, remembering some of the worst moments of her life. Delia's death. Ash disappearing. Richard's death, and the thought of dying and leaving her daughter alone without a mother fuelled the tears.

Samuel said nothing, opting to squeeze her tighter to provide her with comfort. It was the most important thing to do right now, so he ignored the wet feeling his lab coat had from her tears, and allowed her to cry her sorrows away. When Suzanne started to calm down, he noticed that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled sadly at her, knowing that this was the first time she really allowed herself to mourn her loved ones - since most of her time was taken up with looking after little Delia. Finding out why Ash left must have broken the dam that held her sorrow.

He half walked her half carried her over to the couch and laid her down before placing a pillow under her head and laying a blanket over her and left the room allowing her to sleep.

He walked into the lounge as the women looked at him and asked where Suzanne was, to which he told them that she was a little emotional and cried herself to sleep. Everyone nodded to him before going back to their conversations.

A while after Professor Oak's arrival, the boys returned, ready to head off to the Sinnoh Region to enter the Sinnoh League.

"All packed and ready to go boys?" Johanna asked.

"Yeah. All we need now is to wait for the next boat to Sinnoh tomorrow. Everything is packed and all the Pokémon are ready to go." Max smiled.

"If you want, the girls can stay at my house for tonight. I'm sure that Delia will enjoy their company. And, I was thinking that Delia and I would go and cheer for Max this year" said Suzanne entering the room. 'I have to be there so I can see Ash again' she thought.

"Yeah. We can have a slumber party won't that be fun Delia?" Dawn said excited. Delia nodded excitably, thinking of all the games she could play with the older girls. Suzanne turned to Max.

"You need to make sure that you do well Max. This'll be the first time that Delia will be watching a battle in person." Max had a determined look on his face, while Delia and her Eevee remembered what Suzanne said before and looked like Christmas came early.

"Don't worry Suzanne. I'll make this a conference to remember."

"I hope mister Ashura will be there. Because he was friendly and nice, and his Pokémon were fun to play with." Delia said ignoring Max to think about her hero.

"If it's OK with you boys, you can stay here and wait for the boat tomorrow. Do you need me to call and get you some tickets, Suzanne? I am thinking of going this year as well" asked Professor Oak, also thinking that he could see Ash again.

"Yes please, Samuel. Can you buy two for Delia, and I'll pay you tomorrow?" Professor Oak waved her off saying that she didn't need to do that, getting a thankyou from Suzanne and a hug from, Delia who couldn't contain her excitement.

The boys glanced at each other, sending silent messages to each other - knowing that Professor Oak and Suzanne wanted to go with the thoughts of seeing Ash again.

Max smiled to Professor Oak and thanked him. Gary then led the boys out of the room as everyone started to leave. When they entered the study, Gary made sure that the door was closed before turning around to see his friends sitting on the couch.

"Do you really think that Ash will be there, Brock?" Max asked so quietly that he wouldn't be heard by the others outside.

"I hope so Max. This is the first time I've seen Suzanne and Professor Oak look so happy in a long time. I'm worried what'll happen to them if they go and don't find Ash there. It'll break Professor Oak for sure, and the only thing that'll keep Suzanne from going is Delia." Brock said, looking at the now burned out fire.

"Ash has got to be there. This is the last chance he has before his badges expire." Tracy said, trying to heighten the spirits of his friends.

"I hope you're right, Tracy. Because I don't want to think about what'll happen if Ash isn't there." Gary replied, worried for his grandfather.

"You boys don't have to worry. Ash _will_ be there. I'm sure of it." All of them jumped and looked at the door to see Professor Oak standing there in the doorway with some futons for Brock and Max.

"Grandpa! How long have you been there?" Gary said worried about how much of the conversation that he heard.

"The entire time, Gary. I knew that you would come here so I followed you. You don't have to worry though. Ash _will_ be there. I feel it." Professor Oak's smile seemed to reassure the younger men in the room, and chuckled to himself.

"It would seem that I'm not the only one that will be devastated if Ash won't make an appearance at the Conference." This caused all in the room to smile sheepishly at him.

"Remember you four… you need to go to sleep early tonight in able to catch the boat in the morning."

He took one last look at the boys before saying "You don't need to worry. Like I told you… Ash will be there. I know it." The confidence in his voice seemed to wash away the boys' last doubts. He smiled to them before closing the door. A frown then settled on his face when the door was closed behind him. "I hope you really _will_ be there, Ash. I'm not the only one that'll break if you aren't. I just hope that the fact we've seen you for the first time in five years means that you're ready to come home again." Professor Oak said quietly to himself before going off to the phone to buy some boat tickets for Delia, Suzanne and himself.

* * *

><p>There second Chapter done Ash will soon know that his identity is known to some of his friends.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon Satoshi Tajiri Does.

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

It wasn't long before Jessie, James and Meowth were near Viridian City to report their findings from Pallet. Meowth was sitting in the back seat, thinking about their recent discoveries, namely the reason why Ash left his old life.

"It still don't sit right with me, what happened to the boss the night of his mother's funeral." He moaned to himself, although his companions heard him loud and clear. James frowned, also thinking about it.

"There's not much we can do, Meowth. You know as well as I that the boss wouldn't have left them alone for so long without a reason. He probably doesn't want his friends to find out about that night. He also knows that the only right way to tell the twerps about that night is for Ash to tell them face to face. And you know how hesitant he is about seeing them again, let alone letting them in on his plans."

Meowth wanted to retort but stopped, knowing Jessie was right. He dug his shoulders into the seat and scowled. "I just wish there was some way to get back at them for what they've done to Ash." He muttered to his companions.

"I know Meowth. You think we don't want to do something to them for what they did to him? They'll get what's coming to them. Even If Ash doesn't have something planned for them when the twerps and their folks find out about what they did to Ash, they'll _still_ have Hell to pay." James told him.

Meowth scoffed bitterly, and started to fantasize about what he could do to them. He'd grown a lot of respect for Ash over the course of his career as a trainer, and considered him to be family. That respect was only strengthened when Ash was informed of his, Jessie and James' orders to follow and monitor him, which gave them the chance to redeem themselves in his eyes. But what made Meowth give his full loyalty to Ash was because he helped them become stronger. His training regime was intense and often made Meowth think that he did it to make them suffer. But now, he knew that all of the training was worth it. He sighed to himself, looked down at a small stone that now hung around his neck.

It was a small Aura stone that Ash had made from his own aura. He made it to allow a quick way to communicate with them if it was urgent. But his stone was different to the ones that Jessie and James had. Meowth had told Ash that he had wished to stay as a Meowth before he created the stones. So Ash made the stone to have the similar function to that of an Everstone to prevent him from evolving.

He started to fiddle with the stone until he felt the car stop. Looking up he noticed that they'd reached their destination. They were parked out the front of one of the most prestigious hotels in Viridian. The Viridian Grand Hotel was the most luxurious hotel in all of Kanto and also happened to be owned by the very person that they came to meet.

The three entered the hotel and started to walk over to the elevator, only to be stopped by a couple security guards. They flashed their Membership cards that only Ash, Domino and they had. Both guards saw the cards and their eyes widened a little before nodding to them, allowing them to continue to the elevator.

They entered an elevator and pushed the button to the penthouse suite. But before the lift could begin its ascent, the door was stopped by a hand. James went to ask the person to use a different elevator, but he stopped when he saw it was Domino. He moved aside to allow room for her to enter, and held the door open for her. Once in the elevator, Domino looked at them, and leaned against the wall of the elevator.

"So… what've you found out about Ash's friends?" she asked.

"The boy twerps, the Professor and that lady… um… Suzanne, I think, have correctly identified Ash. They've decided to keep quiet for now and see if he's going be at the Sinnoh League." Jessie answered, without hesitation.

"The professor also told them about Ash's dad." James continued with their reports, listing off all of the vitally important facts they'd heard.

"The twerps believe that Ash will be at the Lily in the Valley conference. They're be leaving tomorrow by boat to Sinnoh." Meowth said, remembering Ash's friend's plans. The three of them suddenly hesitated, wondering how to tell her what the Professor showed Suzanne from the night Ash left his friends behind.

"Is something wrong?" Domino raised an inquisitive eyebrow, seeing their hesitation to tell her the next part of their report.

Just as they were going to answer her, the elevator dinged and the doors opened to the Penthouse. They entered, and followed Domino into the office that Ash used when he sorted out the paperwork of the hotel. They knocked at the office door, and stepped in once Ash permitted them. The trio stood in front of the desk and waited for Ash to acknowledge their presence, as he finished crunching a few last numbers in his paperwork. During that time, they had the time to look around the room to see it was the same as the last time they were here.

The room seemed to have an essence that made you feel more relaxed and calm. It seemed homier then some offices they'd been in previously. The floor was covered in a navy blue carpet. The walls were painted a light cream color. There were some small tables and a coffee table near two three seater couches that faced towards the window that showed a view of the city. There was a large bookcase against the wall with books and documents about the hotel lining its shelves. The large desk that they now stood in front of was a deep red color and looked like it was hand crafted by a master, making it look extravagant but at the same time elegantly simplistic.

It was one of James' favourite rooms, as he could sit with his Mr. Mime here, and watch as dusk would become evening and as all the lights in the city would slowly light up, making the city look like the night sky when all the stars started to sparkle in the sky. James looked in Ash's direction as he looked up at them and waved for them to sit down in the chairs in front of them.

After they were seated, he raised his head from the papers that he was working on and looked at them as a kind smile on his face. "How are you guys?" He asked. Their response was to tell him they were fine, which he gave a happy nod to.

"Now… what were you going to tell me in the elevator?" Domino asked, standing behind the desk, looking at some of the paperwork as Pikachu climbed onto her shoulder. They hesitated again before James said "Professor Oak showed the woman… Suzanne… footage about the night of your mother's funeral." He reported to Ash. He grimaced as he caught sight of a badly supressed flinch in Ash's body language when he said this, which made him frown slightly. He hated that he was making Ash relive this memory.

"He showed her the incident. It'd been captured on the security tapes he had installed after the first time we tried to steal from him. He showed her the tape after having a discussion with your male friends. They were listening in on them talking about you, and they now know, thanks to Suzanne, who you are. They, err… also know who your father is." Jessie said, worried what Ash would think, now that one of his biggest secrets was discovered by some of his friends.

Her worry was not misplaced. Hearing this, Ash's face paled before he briskly spun his chair to face away from them, looking out the window, his breath becoming erratic. Domino noticed that he inherited this little trait from Giovanni. It was something they did when they became troubled. She walked over to him and hugged him, waiting for his breathing to calm. As he caught his breath a little more, she kissed him on the head, sweetly. Ash looked at Jessie with a look that showed them that he'd rather not ask what he was about to ask. But he did anyway.

"How'd they take it?"

"Max accused the Professor about how he should have turned your father in, until the others made him realise what would have happened to you and your mother. He quickly apologised, though, for not knowing what you would've had to endure. After that… they all seemed fine enough about it. They all seemed to think that the crimes of the father shouldn't be passed onto the son." Ash let out a sigh of relief. 'My friends don't hate me for who my father is, then.' He thought, allowing his shoulders to relax.

"They also contemplated whether or not you'd be entering the Sinnoh league to compete in the conference. They're leaving first thing in the morning. They aren't going to inform the others about what they've deduced, since the Professor has accurately guessed your ultimate plans for your father" Meowth said.

Ash nodded when he heard that they knew who he was. In truth, he and the others had all expected Professor Oak to guess his plans at some point. "They also discovered the true reasons for why we followed you around all of the time." James said when he had Ash's full attention.

"Let me guess… it was Brock that worked that out?" It was more a statement then a question, but James nodded anyway.

Ash looked at the three of them. "Is that all you have to report?" when they nodded he thanked them before dismissing them. Once they were out of the room Ash place his elbows on the desk and rested his head in his hands and rubbed his temples trying to make the headache that he go away. Seeing this, Domino started to run her hands through his hair and massaged his scalp. Ash moaned as he felt his headache kneaded away by Domino's expert hands.

"What's wrong, Ash? You seem tense, sweetie." She asked as she started to massage his shoulders.

"I'm a little worried, Dom. I haven't seen Max in five years, but he still seems very impulsive, and always talks before he thinks. That impression was only reinforced when they told me of his reaction to who my father is. I'm worried that he might accidently blurt it out to the others. And I don't want to think what might happen if any more learn my secrets. It's bad enough that Brock, Max, Tracey and Gary know."

Domino frowned. "Ash. You have nothing to worry about. After all, they were able to see past that, and realise that you aren't your father. Why won't the others?"

"I don't like the thought of how Norman or Flint will react when they find out. They'll use it as a way to convince them that I'm bad to be around." Ash said sadly.

Domino sighed, also not liking that thought. Slowly, she stopped and turned his face to look at hers.

"Then you need to tell them yourself before they find out another way. I know you're nervous about how they'll react to seeing you again… but you don't need to be. If they really _are_ your friends, they'll understand." She said looking deeply into his eyes. "Come on. You need a break from this." She waved at the paperwork on his desk. Ash knew better than to argue with her, and followed her out of the study and to the elevator, letting Pikachu rest on his shoulder as he pushed the button to go down.

Meowth frowned at what he heard. He'd been listening on their conversation, and he felt upset that Ash was so worried about being rejected by his friends, considering all they'd been through together.

"You know as well as I, Meowth, that he still values his friends dearly. It'd be a huge blow to him if they _did_ reject him." Meowth jumped so high that he reached the roof and dug his claws in.

Looking down, he saw Mewtwo looking up at him with a smirk on his face.

"Do you _have_ to sneak up on me like that?" Meowth yelled as he retracted his claws and landed on the floor.

"Seeing you fly like that never gets old" chuckled the Genetic Pokémon.

Meowth shot him a look that only made Mewtwo's chuckle turn into a laugh. Once he got control of himself, Mewtwo said "As you heard… Ash is worried about what those two _Gym Leaders_ will tell the others. And he has every right to be worried. They can do a lot of damage to the possibility of him getting close to his friends again. In order to prevent this, I will need your help."

Meowth looked at him and nodded. He would do anything to help Ash. "What you may not know is that a part of Ash wanted to be spotted at Pallet. Just as he, secretly, hoped that some of them would work out his true identity. It's only a small part of him, but it's also the part that has been locked away for so long. Over the years, you – no doubt – have noticed that Ash has gotten colder over the years?"

"Yeah, I have. He doesn't smile as much anymore. And most of the time, it's only when he's with his Pokémon or Domino." Meowth muttered quietly.

"That's because he's shutting himself away. I've been giving him subtle pushes for weeks now to get him to reach out to his friends again. They seem to be the only thing that could get him to open up again. We all have done a good job from preventing him from closing off all his emotions. Especially Domino. But I fear that even her love for him won't be enough, if the worst case scenario happens."

"What can I do about it?" Meowth asked wondering, where he fits into all this.

"I want to injure you, and deposit you on the girl's doorstep. I'll make her be the one to open the door and find you. You must pretend to be a traumatised Pokémon, and only allow her to touch you, or be near you besides from her mother."

Meowth flinched when he heard that he was going to be hurt, but knew what Mewtwo's plan was. "You want me to integrate myself into their little group through Delia and prevent information about Ash's dad from being known to anyone who doesn't already know until Ash has the chance to tell them. Correct?"

"Right. I also want you to protect Delia from any harm that could befall her at the conference. I've recently found out that her mother has named Ash as her godfather. I'll also need you to send me reports of their movements, and to inform me if they work out about Ash's alias on their own. Especially _Norman _or _Flint._" He spat the two gym leaders' names out, as if they were bitter poison, remembering how they hurt Ash's feelings. "If they find out, you must tell me immediately. and I'll wipe their minds. They mustn't find out about Ash."

Meowth nodded, agreeing with Mewtwo. "But why do you want me to be injured?" He questioned, fearful of that part of the plan being something to do with Mewtwo taking some form of revenge for all the times Team Rocket tried to harm him.

"It would look strange if Ash sent Delia a Pokémon after only meeting her once, even if he did save her. And I don't intend to tell Ash all the reasons why I'm placing you with Delia. It'll look suspicious if she were to thank him only to have him be confused _why_ she's thanking him. So I'll tell him about being Delia's godfather, which should calm him down a bit, even if he knows that they'll look for him to return you. It'll also ensure that you go with them, as Professor Oak's bought their tickets for the boat to Sinnoh, and they won't think of leaving a traumatised Pokémon. They'll be forced to take you with them so you can stay with Delia. I'll make sure that Delia makes them take you with her."

"Isn't it wrong to influence a child like this?" Meowth asked, feeling rather concerned about how Ash would react when he finds out about their plan.

"It won't harm her. She is – after all – a child, and will only need a small amount of subtle suggestion to get her to act in the way we want her to, since – when she sees you – she'll want to help you, even without my influence. I'm only going to influence her enough that taking you to the Conference is an absolute certainty. And they're far more likely to let her take you with her if they think that she's the only one that you'll let near you, rather than some Pokémon a complete stranger gave to her after only meeting her once" Mewtwo explained.

Meowth nodded. "You've been planning this for a while haven't you?"

"Ever since Ash came and asked me for help three years ago. I don't like seeing the one human that I can fully trust slowly lose himself and become an emotionless husk. The Ash I remember is still in there. And this is the only way I can think of to get him back. Well… as much of him as possible. There are parts of Ash, now, which will need to stay if he's to fulfil his destiny." Meowth nodded again.

"When do you want to begin?" he asked Mewtwo. However, he immediately wished he hadn't, as he suddenly started falling towards the earth. It seemed that Mewtwo teleported the two of them to some place in the some forest high above the ground. Meowth started to curse Mewtwo as he plummeted to the ground only to stop when he bounced of branches before falling to the ground.

Meowth winced as he tried to stand once he came round. As he inspected his body for damage, he found his back right leg was broken, his left back foot was broken, and so were several ribs. Mewtwo descended, and continued his assault on his companion. If anyone had heard the screams that Meowth let out they would have ran in the opposite direction out of fear.

When the torture was finally over, even Mewtwo felt remorse for what he did to his friend, but knew that it had to be done, and that Meowth accepted that this would happen. He placed his hand on Meowth's head and used his power to clear his mind and dull the pain. Meowth looked up to see Mewtwo and glared as best he could with one eye, as his other eye was forced shut by the swelling, before the large psychic disappeared. The Scratch Cat Pokémon lay beaten and bruised, silently cursing his want to help Ash, and swearing to himself that the twerp had better be grateful when this was all over, before slowly losing what little consciousness he had left.

Meowth's eyes stirred, painfully, open. As he blinked the blackness out, he found himself on the door step of the Hastings home. Reaching a swollen paw upwards, he feebly scratched and meowed at the door, finding it hard since his front leg was broken and his paw had several broken bones in it. Mewtwo, who was watching in the shadows, enhanced Delia's senses, allowing her to hear Meowth. Gasping, she ran to the front door and screamed when she saw Meowth at the door and called for her mother.

Suzanne also screamed when she saw the mangled Pokémon on her door step, while the other girls looked at Meowth shocked and distraught at his state. 'This must be a victim of those Team Rocket members before Ash beat them this morning' she realised. By then, Delia had already picked the poor Meowth up, making sure that she didn't hurt him and looked at her mother.

"Momma we need to help him!" she said, openly crying at the pain that Meowth must be feeling.

Suzanne nodded and told Delia to place him on the couch while she ran over to the phone and called Professor Oak.

He arrived quickly, after the phone call with Brock and the others, and did his best to help Brock patch Meowth's wounds as best they could.

The others ushered Delia out of the room, but Meowth – remembering the plan – started to act terrified and tried to reach out to Delia. Seeing this, Delia ran over to him and tried to calm him down enough so that Brock and Professor Oak could heal him.

After they were done, Meowth was laying comfortably on the couch with his head resting on Delia's lap as she gently stroked whatever fur wasn't covered in bandages.

"How is he?" Suzanne asked with tears still in her eyes.

"Not good. I'm afraid, he _will_ survive… but it'll be a while before he can do he can be trusted to be by himself for long periods of time. From the damage to his body, I can only imagine that he was either very badly abused by his trainer or he was attacked and left for dead in the forest." Brock told his friends gravely.

"I think that it might have been the two Team Rocket members that were here this morning before Ashura beat them." Suzanne said.

"That's probably what it was then. He also won't let anyone near him without Delia nearby. He seems to have become attached to her, as she must've been the first person to try and help him." Professor Oak told them. "It would be best if you let Delia keep him for now. If you want, I can cancel the tickets for the boat for you?" Suzanne wanted to agree, but heard a noise come from the lounge room.

They ran into the room to see Meowth thrashing while Delia held onto him occasionally getting scratched by Meowth's claws. Brock and Suzanne went to help her but stopped when they saw Meowth calm down.

"What happened Delia?" Suzanne asked as she looked over the scratches.

"Meowth heard that you were going to cancel the tickets and then started trying to scratch me." She said as tears rolled down her cheeks, and winched as a tear rolled over one of the scratches. Meowth moved forward and started to lick the scratches and meowed sadly, apologizing for hurting her. "I think he wants to go see the conference too. So can we take him, Mommy? I promise I'll take good care of him." She pleaded

"I don't know Delia. He _is_ a wild Pokémon. I don't…" Suzanne started only to be interrupted by Delia.

"He's not wild, Mommy! He had this with him." She said and showed them Meowth's aura stone. Professor Oak frowned and took the stone off Delia.

"This is an Aura Stone." He looked down at Meowth who was reaching out to the stone. "He must be a partner of someone who knows how to use aura. He may even be Ashura's Meowth."

"You don't think he might have done this do you Samuel?" Suzanne said dreading what his answer might be.

"No. I don't Suzanne. An Aura Guardian wouldn't do this to a Pokémon. But Meowth here may have gotten separated from him, and was attacked by Team Rocket, which would mean that this occurred after Ashura defeated them. He must have come here by, following Ashura's scent and must smell it on Delia. That must be why he trusts her. Because Ashura hugged her, correct?" he asked Suzanne.

"Yes. He did. When Delia thanked him. And again after breakfast." Suzanne wondered about something, and started to pet Meowth hearing a weak purr escape his furry lips.

"He seems to like you too Suzanne. I think the best course of action would be for you to look after him and take him with you to Sinnoh. His reaction to hearing you not going to Sinnoh set him off, which means that Ashura must be intending to enter the Lily of the Valley Conference. And since he won't let anyone near him without one of you two, you'll have to be the ones to return him to Ashura."

Delia smiled, and started petting Meowth, telling him that she'd look after him until they gave him back to Ashura, which seemed to calm him down. Suzanne smiled at the scene as Professor Oak placed the necklace back on Meowth which earned him a meow that everyone knew meant thank you.

"Ashura might need to watch out. Meowth might not want to go back to him if Delia continues to pamper him like she is." Everyone laughed, and Delia blushed, but didn't stop petting Meowth. Eevee jumped onto the couch and watched Meowth and started to talk to him. Everyone watched as the two Pokémon talked.

'Are you really the Pokémon of the Aura guardian that saved me today?' Eevee asked. Meowth realised that Eevee was a girl.

'Sort of. Do you know who Ash Ketchum is?' Meowth asked thinking that Eevee would be a good ally to help him with his plans.

'You mean that boy that Delia's mom misses along with that lady in the photo over there?' Eevee asked, subtly nodding her head in the direction of a photo with Ash and his mom in it.

'Yeah. He's is the man who saved you, but keep it quiet. I was sent here by one of his Pokémon, Mewtwo, who wants to prevent four eyes and squinty eyes' dads finding out about his identity, since they were the ones who ran him off, accusing him of being the reason for that lady's death. Mewtwo did this to me so that your owner would want to look after me and take me with you to Sinnoh so I could stop four eyes over there form blurting out who Ash's dad is by accident.' Meowth explained.

'Who _is_ Ash's dad' Eevee asked, innocently.

'He's the one who bosses around those men who tried to take you away. Ash has been trying for years to stop him and team rocket from stealing Pokémon. Mewtwo and I want to make sure that he isn't used against Ash to try to turn his friends against him. Everyone in this room is his friend and we're trying to get him to meet them again.'

Eevee tilted her head at this knowledge, and asked why Meowth told her about what happened on the night of Delia's funeral, so Meowth explained that he needed her co-operation with his plan. Sufficed to say, Eevee was angry at the gym leaders for saying what they did, and told Meowth that she would help him with his plan. Meowth thanked her before passing out, exhausted from his injuries. Eevee looked at Meowth before curling up next to him and also falling asleep.

Everyone in the room took this to mean that Eevee liked Meowth and allowed the two to stay, and agreed they would take Meowth to Sinnoh with them. With the danger out of the way, Brock gave Suzanne some instructions on how to care for Meowth until he was fully healed, giving her some spare hyper potions that would be needed to be applied to Meowth's wounds to quicken his recovery.

That night, Mewtwo returned to the penthouse, knowing that Meowth would do his part well and went to tell Ash what he did. But he decided to leave out the true reason.

When he entered the kitchen, he noticed Ash and Pikachu and realised that it was time for dinner. When Ash clocked his arrival, he offered the clone Pokémon a bowl of Pokéchow with some berries, which he gladly accepted. After eating dinner, Mewtwo took Ash to a quiet room for a chat. "I've sent Meowth to watch over the girl that you saved today. Delia." Ash responded the way he thought he would.

"What? But if you did that they might find out that I sent him." He yelled.

Mewtwo smiled, cunningly. "They do, in a way. Before I placed him on the doorstep, I beat him up pretty badly. They think he's yours, thanks to his aura stone, and they suspect he got separated from you and was attacked by the team rocket members you defeated in Pallet."

"But why did you do this in the first place?" by this time… Domino, Jessie and James had entered the room.

"I recently found out that Suzanne named you as Delia's godfather. So I planted Meowth with her so he would be able to protect her." He then sent Domino a discreet look. Domino quickly caught the look, and nodded in agreement. She knew about Mewtwo's plan to use Meowth to keep Ash's secrets quiet, but she was pretty surprised about Ash being Delia's godfather.

"But that'll mean that they'll be actively trying to find me at Sinnoh to return him." Ash argued.

"That would have happened anyway since, Suzanne, Professor Oak, Brock, Gary, Tracey and Max know your true identity. The second reason I planted Meowth was to prevent what you were worried about. You know… Max blurting out about _Giovanni_." Mewtwo felt that something horrible crawled in his mouth and died. He may like Ash be still hated Giovanni with a passion.

Ash wanted to argue, but was stopped when Domino covered his mouth. "You know as well as I do that Meowth will be able to do this. And maybe this will give you the chance to reconnect with your old friends" Ash raised his eyebrow, sceptically. He pulled her hand away from his mouth and turned to face her, looking down at her with a slight glare in his eyes.

"So this is just some elaborate attempt to see my friends? You know I don't want them tangled up in any of my plans, Domino!"

"Who said you had to?" She commented, calmly. "The possibility to see your friends was only an added bonus; we don't want Delia hurt do we?" She placed a finger over Ash's mouth as he tried to open it to reply. "No. And if they _do_ search for you, then we'll have someone on the inside to prevent them finding you. And you know as well as I do that if you faced an important opponent, you're going to cast aside your alias anyway. This is a precautionary measure in case you meet such an opponent."

"Ashura Satoshi isn't an alias. It's my part of my real name." Ash said weakly, knowing what Domino said was true.

"So? You never told them that. So it's as good as an alias. Heck, even Suzanne doesn't know that your full name is Ashura Giovanni Satoshi Ketchum. It's probably why Professor Oak didn't need her to explain who she thought you were you, since he DOES know your full name." Ash dropped his head, knowing he was beaten.

"Fine." He huffed. "But none of you are allowed to force the issue. I will only approach my friends on my terms, OK?" he looked at the room and made sure everyone understood his condition. When he was sure his message had sunk, in he started to leave the room. "If anyone needs me I'll be finishing my paperwork in the study before going to bed" and with that left the room with Pikachu on his shoulder.

When he left the room, and everyone was sure he'd entered the study, Jessie and James rushed over to Mewtwo and Domino. "You planned this didn't you?" James asked.

Domino nodded while Mewtwo told them what he told Meowth. After his explanation, Jessie and James had determined looks on their faces. "We've seen his change over the years, too. Even if it was little by little, but it's been change none the less. Is there a way we can help?" Jessie asked.

"No. For now all we can do is wait for Ash to either face his friends himself or unveil his real identity at the conference. One of those scenarios will happen. I know. I snuck into the Pokémon league headquarters based in Sinnoh, and I noticed that several of his former rivals have entered this year's conference. I just hope that he meets his friends first instead of waiting until the last minute and possibly hurt his chances of reconnecting to his friends." Mewtwo told them.

"So all we can do is wait and hope for the best?" James frowned, not liking this plan one bit.

Mewtwo nodded and left the room. Domino sighed to herself "You don't need to worry about Ash. He'll become friends with them again, I promise. We've set up the opportunity too perfectly for him not to."

"Like dangling a carrot on front of a Ponyta." James joked.

"Yeah. And this temptation will be too enticing to refuse." Jessie said. Domino laughed. "Yeah just like that, I suppose. If you think of it that way." When she calmed down Domino, said "Be aware, though. Ash was telling the truth about his name, so he'll register in his full name and he'll ask to be called Ashura Satoshi. I have no doubt that he'll try to push them away to prevent them getting hurt. He already hates the fact he may be rejected by his half-sister."

James snorted "Who would have thought the boy who tried so hard to end several criminal organisations is also related to many of those he tried to help lock away." Jessie smacked the back of James's head "Oww. Jessie, that hurt!" He whined and rubbed the back of his head.

"Good. It's not Ash's fault many of his family decided to be a part of the criminal underworld, and you know just as I do that she wants to break away from the criminal life. If our intelligence is correct, which it will be – since it was Mewtwo that got it from her own mind."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry" James replied softly before leaving the room saying he was going to bed. Domino and Jessie looked at each other and, together as one, shook their heads.

"Do you really think she'll agree to change sides and stand with Ash?" Jessie asked.

"Yes. They were close when they were young, even it Ash didn't like her mother, and I know she loved Delia. She might agree to help Ash avenge her death. She, too, hates her mother; can you really blame her with Ariana as a mother?" Domino asked.

Jessie scoffed "She was only a means for Ariana to get a higher position. Ariana never loved her, and would have dumped her somewhere if it wasn't for the fact that Giovanni and Ash loved her." Jessie thought of her own mother and how she died.

Jessie had been told she disappeared looking for Mew, but over the past five years, she found out that she was killed protecting Ash and his mother during Giovanni's 'Training' by Ash's grandmother. Miyamoto had heard what happened to Delia, and wanted to help her – knowing what it was like to fear for your child and, tried to hide them away until Giovanni could protect them. She was successful in her attempts, but died when they were attacked by some agents of Team Rocket. She learned that the money that was sent to her over the years when she was at the orphanage was sent by both Delia and Giovanni to honour Miyamoto's memory. Giovanni was also the one who sent her Ekans for her birthday.

Ever since Ash and Jessie learned about Miyamoto's death, and her help in protecting Ash and Delia, Jessie became more protective of Ash like a big sister would, and in turn Ash treated started to treat her as family, like he did James and Meowth – though their bond was stronger because of Miyamoto.

"Well, it really doesn't matter right now. All we can do is hope for the best. We've done all we can do to help her. She's the one who needs to accept that help and, considering it'll be Ash who'll be the one to offer that help, I am certain she'll jump at the chance." Domino assured the pink haired girl, and yawned. "I'm off to bed. We need to get up early in the morning so Mewtwo can teleport us to Sinnoh. I'm sure Ash doesn't want to go by boat knowing that his friends are going to do the same."

Jessie nodded as Domino got up and left the room. Frowning, she looked out the window to look over Viridian City. Her mind was troubled of recent events. They were now lingering on the more dangerous side of their plans, and she was worried what would happen to Ash if all of their careful planning failed to live up to their expectations. With the frown firmly set in place, she too left the room to sleep.

The following morning came, and everyone in the penthouse was awoken by the smell of food. They entered the kitchen to find Ash cooking up a storm. They all rushed to their seats. Although Jessie and James hardly ever got to eat Brock's cooking, they believed that Ash was a better cook. Ash always denied their praises, saying that he would never be a better cook than Brock. When Ash dished up their breakfast, their mouths watered at seeing all of the food. There was bacon, toast, eggs, muffins, pancakes, waffles and there was also a fresh brewed coffee with some fresh Pokéchow and berries for Mewtwo and Pikachu.

Everyone dug in as Ash watched them. He smiled, watching his family eat proudly. 'Family'… he always had a warm feeling whenever he thought that. The first year with Domino, he tried his best to prevent her getting too close to him, worried that she would suffer the same fate that his mother had. But his own feelings couldn't continue to be denied and he let her into his heart. And ever since that day, he felt the part of him that he was losing stop. Together, everyone in room helped him to keep up his spirit and they each became a part of his family. It seemed strange that his family was a bunch of ex-criminals and a clone Pokémon, but to Ash, that didn't matter. He always had a person he loved as part of a criminal organisation, but that didn't stop him loving them. He knew that no matter how evil people can be, there's always some part of them that is good within them. Everyone here was proof of that.

Domino looked up from her food and noticed that Ash wasn't eating. "Is something wrong Ash?" Everyone stopped eating to look at him with worried expressions on their faces. That warm feeling came back seeing them worried about him.

He smiled, reassuringly, at them. "Yeah, there is." He said. Everyone looked even more worried at him, fearing he was going to say something dreadful. "I haven't heard a single thank you for slaving away to make breakfast." He joked to them, chuckling. Everyone laughed and thanked him for breakfast before eating again. Yes. They were his family and woe be to anyone who tried to hurt the family of Ash Ketchum again.

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><p>Chapter three is done Ash will be going to Sinnoh knowing that his friends will be there and will look for him.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon Satoshi Tajiri does and I don't own, The Heart Will Lead You Home the song is owned by their composers Robert and Richard Sherman and Kenny Loggins.

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

After Ash and the others had finished their breakfast, Ash told them they were going to be teleported to Sinnoh just like Domino said. Everyone went to gather all their things that they wanted to take with them to Sinnoh while he went to inform the manager of the hotel that they were leaving. By the time Ash had returned, everyone was standing at the entrance to the elevator. Jessie and James had also collected the things that Meowth would have wanted placed among their things.

When everyone was ready, Mewtwo teleported all of them to Lily City, not far south to where the Lily of the Valley Conference was being held. Ash told them to buy anything they forgot to get in Sinnoh before heading North to register with Domino by his side. When they arrived they entered the Pokémon centre and walked over to the counter.

"Hello. How may I help you today?" asked Nurse Joy.

"Hi. I'd like to enter the conference this year." Ash replied and passed her his badge case and Pokédex. She took the case and opened it. "These seem older than the usual badges I see."

"That's because they're five years old." Ash said to her.

"You know this is the last year they're valid?" The nurse quizzed, raising an eyebrow. Ash nodded and watched as she placed his Pokédex into a machine to verify his identity. Her eyes widened when she saw his name on the screen, and she looked at him in shock.

"You….you're Ash Ketchum!" she stuttered.

"Yes. But I haven't used that name in five years. I go by Ashura Satoshi now. And, so I can be properly introduced, I live on Mt Silver." Nurse joy nodded faintly as she returned his Pokédex and badge case. Ash gave her his Pokémon causing her eyes to widen again at the amount. "I would like them all to have a basic check-up." She nodded and gave the bag that the pokéballs were in to Chansey who took them to be examined.

"It might take a while with the amount of Pokémon but we they should be finished by the end of the day" Nurse Joy said happily. "Now. Here's your key to your rooms while you're here." She was stopped by Ash.

"I won't need that. Give it to someone else who'll need it more. I have a small house in Lily city that I'll be staying at during the course of the Conference." Nurse Joy looked at him before nodding and put the key away. She didn't notice Domino smirk and shake her head. "OK, so the Conference will begin in a couple of days so good luck to you." Nurse Joy said with a smile, earning a polite thank you from Ash. When Nurse Joy was done registering Ash for the Conference, he and Domino bid the nurse farewell, and left.

"You know…" Domino turned to Ash, keeping her voice low to avoid being heard by bystanders. "Nurse Joy's probably gonna tell Mr. Goodshow now, so he'll know who you really are." Ash shrugged, nonchalantly. "Does it really matter? Both of them will respect my wishes. As long as they keep quiet until I may have to reveal my past, I don't really care. Besides, I haven't fully changed my name for the last five years, I've just introduced myself in a slightly twisted logic. I'm still the same person I used to be." Ash said to Domino.

Domino looked down 'You may say that, Ash… but we both know that you are_ way_ different to how you were before. You're like a darker shadow of your former self. And I know you'll never be truly happy until you can reconnect with your true self.' She thought sadly. Together Domino, and Ash left and went to their accommodation.

True to Domino's words, the Moment that they left, Nurse Joy picked up the phone and called Charles Goodshow. Mr Goodshow was shocked and overjoyed when he heard that Ash had reappeared, but also frowned when he heard that Ash wanted to be known by a different name and place of origin. As he thought of the possible changes that had happened to Ash, Cynthia – the Champion of Sinnoh – walked into his office. "Ah. Cynthia you've arrived at the opportune Moment. I was wondering if you have heard of a trainer called Ashura Satoshi?"

Cynthia stopped and thought before she shook her head. "No. I've never heard about a trainer by that name." Mr Goodshow nodded. "Why do you want to know, Charles?" Cynthia asked curious.

"It would seem that Ash Ketchum will be competing this year in the Conference." Cynthia's eyes widened. "Ash will be here this year? But where has he been for the past five years, and how has he never been found until now?" Cynthia asked.

"He has been going by the name of Ashura Satoshi for the last five years. He's been rather smart by using a name that would allow him to keep his real identity and be completely anonymous to everyone simultaneously. You see, Ash's full name is Ashura Giovanni Satoshi Ketchum. He had always introduced himself as Ash Ketchum, so everyone believes _that_ is his name. So, for the past five years, he has been introducing himself as Ashura Satoshi. He took the saying 'if you want to hide something, hide it in plain sight' literally, and has been himself for five years, under a different way of saying his own name." He said to her, rather impressed, himself, at how Ash had remained hidden for five years in plain sight.

Cynthia was also impressed; she never would have thought that a person who had a completely different name may be only part of Ash's name. She was going to ask a question when the phone rang. Mr Goodshow answered.

"Hello this is Mr Goodshow, President of the Pokémon League. Oh, hello Suzanne! It's good to hear from you… Why yes, of course you and little Delia can stay with me for the Conference. I would love to see my great grandniece again… Yes, there has been a person called Ashura Satoshi entered this year. I got a call from Nurse Joy this morning saying that he just finalized his entry" Cynthia, by now, was listening in on the conversation, intently. "Yes, you're right. Ashura is Ash. But how… Oh I see. Well, yes, he is Ash, as Ash always entered the conferences under his full name. But this year, he's asked to be called Ashura Satoshi from Mt Silver… well I was happy to help. It'll be good to see you again. I'll be there to see you when the boat arrives… Of course I would like to speak to Delia… Hello little Delia, how are you? Well, you are lucky that Mr Ashura was there to help you weren't you? Yes, I love you too. Can you put your mother back on? So I'll see you at the docks today and we can talk more then, OK? See you soon. Bye-bye."

When he hung-up the phone Cynthia gave him a look. "It would seem that Ash decided to visit his mother this year and was spotted by my great niece Suzanne and some of Ash's friends after he saved little Delia from some Team Rocket members who tried to take the Eevee I sent her for her fourth birthday. Thanks to Samuel Oak, some of them have worked out Ash's identity." He said to Cynthia who smiled.

"Ash could never stop himself from helping those in need." Mr Goodshow let out a bellow. "You don't know the half of it. He also seems to be a very powerful Aura Guardian and has a Lucario that can talk!" Cynthia looked at him with shock before she started to think.

"Ash seems to be more impressive every time I hear about him." Mr Goodshow chuckled "If you're thinking about trying to get a date with him, I'm afraid you're a little too late. Nurse Joy also said that he was accompanied by a beautiful blonde haired woman and that they seemed to have been together for a while." Cynthia raised her eyebrow.

"Oh? And how would she know about that?" Mr Goodshow smiled. "Over my many long years, I have learned to always trust the words of Nurse Joy, they always seem to know things like this." Cynthia sighed sadly, which caused Mr Goodshow to laugh inwardly to himself. 'My! You seem to be very popular with the women Ash I hope that whoever you're with is worthy of you.' He thought. "Now… what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Mr Goodshow asked Cynthia.

"Isn't there a Mansion in Lily City owned by a family called Satoshi?" Mr Goodshow thought for a Moment. "Yes I believe it is. Are you thinking that Ash may own that mansion?"

"It's possible. He _was_ the type of person to want to earn his place in life. So he wouldn't have told his friends if he was from a rich family, because he wanted to earn what he wanted – not have it handed to him because of his wealth." Mr Goodshow nodded agreeing with her. "Well, if that's all, Cynthia, I must go and get ready to see my family." Mr Goodshow left the room. Cynthia then remembered why she came and also left the room to chase down Mr Goodshow.

Meanwhile, Domino felt a cold shiver roll down her back. Noticing her discomfort, Ash cocked his head to the side, and asked "Is something wrong Domino?" Domino looked at him and hugged him, catching him quite off-guard. His shock wore off and he hugged her back getting a happy sigh. He asked her again, to which she answered "It's nothing." Ash didn't look convinced but didn't ask again. As they carried on walking, Domino thought silently to herself. 'I wonder if I'm worthy of Ash?' She pondered. She looked up at her Ash, who was watching the path ahead of them. Briefly, his eyes glanced down at her, and he flashed her a smile. Domino smiled back, feeling as though Ash had sensed her doubts, and he was comforting her worries. She snuggled her cheeks into the crook of his shoulder, and sighed contentedly.

Together, they walked in a comfortable silence. When they arrived at the mansion, Ash noticed it was in very good condition, and he caught a slight glimpse of a few gardeners with their Pokémon who were tending to the grounds. One by one, they walked over to the large iron gates that barred the way, and greeted their young master. Ash walked over to the intercom next to the gate. "Is anyone there? I'd like someone to come open the gates for me and my girlfriend."

"This is Private Property and neither Master Giovanni nor Master Ashura is currently within residence so if you have business with either of them ask somewhere else" said a snooty sounding voice.

"Sounds like someone wants to be fired, huh Domino?" Ash smirked, amusedly. Domino giggled as she heard the man over the intercom splutter. "Master Ashura! I apologize. I shall be there to greet you immediately."

"Good." Ash smirked, giving Domino a cheekily evil look, before placing his mouth mere inches away from the intercom. "And I'll be expecting two more arrivals later." He hissed, menacingly. "Jessie and James, their names are. I'd like them let in upon arrival, OK?"

"Very good sir. I'll be there post-haste."

Domino smiled evilly at Ash's tone. "You can be so evil when you want to be, you know." Ash shrugged "What can I say? Every Satoshi has an… interesting side to them." Domino giggled again and shook her head. Soon, an elderly man dressed like a Butler arrived at the gate and opened it allowing Ash and Domino to enter.

Bowing, he said to the couple "It's so good to finally meet you, Master Ashura. And it is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Domino. If you had informed us you were coming, I would have arranged for someone to come and collect you at the harbour…"

"That would have been unnecessary. We teleported. I'll expect Jessie and James to be well catered for when they arrive." Ash said to the butler who nodded. "There may also be two more people, Suzanne and Delia Hastings. They may come to return a Pokémon of mine they're currently caring for. When they arrive, I want to be notified immediately. And I want them treated as guests here."

"Very good sir. May I ask how long you intend to be staying here?" inquired the Butler.

"I'm competing in the Lily of the Valley conference, so I'll be here until it is completed. I may stay here a little longer, but it all depends on what my plans will be by then." The butler nodded and asked them to follow him.

"The grounds have been very well looked after, sir, and there are many wild habitats behind the mansion, which would be ideal for any Pokémon you may wish to keep here. Will you need four bedrooms made out, sir?" the butler asked, looking back at Ash.

Ash shook his head "No. I'll need about six prepared. I have two psychic Pokémon, whom I care for as if they were my children. I'll need a room for them. Domino and I will share a room together. And… I've taught some of my Pokémon to speak in human language. So don't be alarmed if you hear them talking." The butler nodded, knowing that at times such things happened. "I'll also need rooms for my Lucario and Mewtwo." Ash informed the old butler, as he made his way into the mansion without a single glance back.

The mansion was vast, to say the least. There was a grand, circular, entrance hall that lead to many different rooms. To one side was a large living room, which housed its own library. To the opposite side was a dining room with a large table that looked like it could've been used for medieval banquets.

Domino smirked and looked at Ash "And you called this small to Nurse Joy?" Ash smiled back at her. "Compared to some mansions that I was given from Dad, yes. Don't you remember the mansion in Goldenrod City? It was at least three times the size of this, and then there is the…" "Yeah, yeah. I know. You don't need list every mansion, chateau and villa that you have." Domino said rolling her eyes. The butler gave a small, near non-existent, smile happy that there was going to be some commotion in the mansion again.

The butler led them up the stairs and into the entrance hall, when Ash remembered something. "I'm sorry. I've forgotten to ask you your name was." The butler turned to Ash and said "I'm Alfred, sir. It'll be a pleasure to serve you sir." Ash smiled to him.

"Can you arrange someone to take our belongings to your guests' rooms for when we return? I need to get my Pokémon back from the Pokémon Centre. We'll be here… at some point before midnight. That, and… Domino seems to think I need a full wardrobe at every place I stay." He smirked, jokingly. His joke, however, earned him a slap on the back of the head from Domino, making the boy nearly face plant the carpet. Alfred nodded and laughed inwardly to himself before he went over to a table and wrote something down. He then gave the paper to Ash.

"Sir, this is the passcode that you'll need to open the gate on your own. I'll give this to your friends Jessie and James as well." Ash thanked Alfred and walked back to the gate with Domino. When they reached the gate Ash saw Lucario walking towards them.

"Hello master. I didn't like the Pokémon centre so I came looking for you. I also informed Nurse Joy that I was leaving with company. She said it was fine, as they've all had their check-ups." Lucario then jumped out of the way as a blue, red and white missile passed where he was just standing and collided with Ash knocking him over.

Ash laughed and cuddled his attacker. "Hi Rose how are you?" 'I'm fine, Daddy.' Rose said. She looked at Domino and said 'Hi, Mommy' and jumped at her. Domino knew what was coming and braced herself as a hyperactive Kirlia hugged her. Domino giggled and hugged Kirlia back. They all turned when they heard a laugh and saw Willow with Pikachu on her shoulder.

'Hello Mom, Dad' Willow said to the couple as she walked over and gave Ash a hug. Ash embraced her tightly as Pikachu jumped to Domino's shoulder. Domino smiled as she watched, adjusting Rose to sit on her waist. Together, Ash and Willow really they looked like a father and daughter. Domino had helped Ash raise both Willow and Rose and both of them thought of her as their mother. Not that she minded, she really enjoyed being their mother. Domino walked over and hugged Ash and Willow with her free arm as Rose hugged Ash and Willow from Domino's waist.

Lucario smiled, since they truly looked like a real family. 'I can't wait until Ash and Domino settle down and have children, they would both be the perfect parents' he thought as he watched them talk and play around like a real family. Jessie and James arrived at that Moment. Jessie stopped next to Lucario while James lagged behind a little carrying all of their shopping.

Jessie smiled too when she saw the scene and had similar thoughts as Lucario. James looked at the scene and shook his head with a smirk on his face and placed all of the shopping down and pulled a digital camera out of his pocket. He took a photo of Ash, Domino, Willow, Rose and Pikachu surprising them with the flash. Everyone stopped to look at James who had a very pleased smile on his face, Jessie walked over to him and took the camera and brought the picture up on the screen and smiled. "Good work, James. You seem to have a talent for taking photos." she praised, being the only one not to see the blush that rose on his face.

Domino walked over to see the picture and also thought that it was very good photo and told him that he had to get it developed as soon as possible. Ash, seeing his friend looking near to passing out from embarrassment, said "Hey, Domino. Are we going to go and buy some clothes or what?" Domino glared at him but muttered an agreement and dragged Ash off to shopping District. Ash gave Jessie and James the passcode for the gate, and he and Domino set off.

Rose, by then, had claimed Ash's shoulders as a seat and held onto his hair so she wouldn't fall off. Willow walked beside Domino and talked to her about something that didn't interest Ash and Pikachu was perched on Lucario's shoulder talking about training.

When they arrived at the shopping district Domino went crazy, dragging Ash around to every clothing store buying everything he needed from underwear to suits. Ash let her drag him around half-heartedly he knew that the less he complained the sooner she would be done. He didn't really mind shopping with her, as – while she bought a lot of clothes – she didn't go overboard like some other people could. He even had fun posing in the clothes that she wanted him to try on, as she had a great sense of fashion.

Together, when they finished, Lucario took their shopping – much to their protest – saying that he would like to get away from all the people. Ash and Domino hesitantly let him take the shopping, knowing that Lucario didn't feel comfortable with all the people around him and watched him disappear into the crowd.

Lunch time came, and they walked into a restaurant. Ash and Domino had hamburgers, salad and chips, Willow and Rose nibbled on berries, Pikachu happily drank his way through a bottle of ketchup. When they were finished, they exited the restaurant and headed home. Just as they were setting off, however, they were spotted by someone.

It was Rhonda, who was sent here to be the host who televised the Sinnoh Conference for Sinnoh Now. The news company she worked for couldn't find many trainers to interview, as they would be arriving in the next two days, and any that were already here didn't want an interview, so she was getting worried because she was supposed to show a live broadcast any minute. So when she saw a shiny Kirlia sitting on top of a man's shoulders she knew that she had her story for the day.

She briskly walked in the direction of the Kirlia as everyone moved out of her way. To say she was surprised when she saw there was also a shiny Gardevoir with him was an understatement. It seemed that all of her dreams for a dream scoop for today came true.

'Ash, you know that we are being followed by a reporter don't you?' Pikachu asked from Willow's shoulder. Ash nodded to Pikachu and replied "Yeah I do Pikachu." He sighed "I may as well answer her questions, cause I don't want her stalking us all the way to home" he said and stopped and turned to face Rhonda and was a little surprised to see that it was her remembering her from his past adventures with Dawn and Brock in Sinnoh.

When Rhonda reached him she stopped to take a breath and said. "Hello there, I'm Rhonda and this is my camera crew and we were wondering if you would have an interview with us and the watches of Sinnoh Now?"

Ash decided to string her along a little and said "Well… I have a lot to do today and…" Domino shook her head and smacked him on the top of the head just barely missing Rose. "Ow! Domino, that really hurts when you do that, you know." He whimpered as he touched his head before Rose started to rub it soothingly. Ash sighed and looked up and said "Thanks, sweetie" to Rose.

Rhonda was surprised by the way that Ash interacted with Rose. "So will you let us interview you?" ignoring the chuckles of her new crew at Ash's misfortune she was sure she also heard a few whispers of 'he is so whipped'. "So long as Domino doesn't hit me again then yes I will let you interview me." Rhonda let out a happy Squeal and was told by one of her crew members that they were scheduled to go on air in a couple of minutes.

She turned to Ash and asked him if he was competing and his name and he said "Yes I'm competing and my name's Ashura Satoshi."

Suddenly, a Crew member asked all of the people around them to make some space. When everyone made room he told everyone that they would be on air and counted down "5…4…3…2…1" Rhonda then smiled at the Camera and said "Hello Sinnoh It's me Rhonda reporting to you Live from Lily City on Lily of the Valley Island in preparation for Sinnoh League, and with me today is a trainer who will be competing in the Lily of the Valley Conference; Ashura Satoshi!"

Several people stopped to look at the TV screens near them. Ash's friends, Suzanne, Delia and Professor Oak looked at the TV that was on the boat as well as several other Pokémon trainers wishing to compete in the conference. Mr Goodshow also stopped what he was doing and looked at the TV in his office and Cynthia was also looking watching TV in the café that she was in with several others within the café.

"So Mr Satoshi how are you feeling now that you are here on the eve of the Conference?" Ash smiled at the camera causing Domino to sigh inwardly knowing that he just put on one of his masks.

"I'm feeling confident, Rhonda. All my Pokémon are fit and healthy and have been working hard in preparation for the Conference. And I'm proud of all of them."

"I must say that your Kirlia looks very healthy and happy, I also noticed that she is a shiny Pokémon along with this Gardevoir here, it is very surprising to see one shiny let alone two and of the same evolutionary tree, are they related in some way?"

"Yes. This is Rose. And Willow here is her big sister. I've raised them both since Rose was an egg and Willow was a Ralts, and I treat them both as my daughters with my girlfriend Domino here as their mother." Domino, Rose and Willow waved at the camera when Ash said their names.

"Can you tell us how you came to capturing them?" everyone watching saw Ash's face darken.

"I'm sorry but I can't since I met them under very dark circumstances and I don't wish to frighten some of the younger viewers, all I will say is that they are the only survivors of their family when they were attacked by poachers, their mother asked me to care for them before she died." Rhonda gasped and looked sad.

"I apologize if I have brought up some upsetting memories." Ash shook his head. "Don't worry, it was five years ago the poachers were put to justice for their crimes." Rhonda nodded and turned the conversation to a happier topic.

"How long have you had your Pikachu?" Ash smiled glad that they were off such a dark topic and answered. "Pikachu here was my first Pokémon I got him ten years ago and he is one of my strongest Pokémon." Pikachu jumped onto Ash's Shoulder and waved happily at the camera with a happy "Pika pi!"

"Can you tell us about anything about your other Pokémon?" Rhonda asked genuinely interested. Ash laughed and replied "sorry I can't do that since there are probably many other trainers watching so I don't want to give away my strongest Pokémon before the Conference has even started."

Rhonda nodded and was about to ask another question when her danger senses started to tingle and she cringed waiting for Jack the boom operator to hit her on the head with the boom Microphone only to wait and not feel a thing. Looking up she saw that Rose had stopped it with psychic. Rhonda smiled and thanked Rose who giggled.

"So Mr Satoshi where are you from?"

"I live on Mt Silver but I also travel a lot too." Rhonda nodded and turned to Domino.

"What about you Miss Domino? What are your thoughts right now?" Domino smirked evilly.

"I am personally surprised that we are here considering that Ashura's sense of direction is shot so badly that I am sometimes worried that he would lead us into an active volcano. If it wasn't for Ashura having Psychic Pokémon that know teleport I would think that we would still be lost back on Mt silver"

"Hey! my sense of direction is not that bad I admit I am not very good but I wouldn't lead us into an active volcano unless that I needed to go there." Ash's pout caused everyone to laugh. Everyone looked stopped when Lucario appeared in front of Ash.

"Master, your friend James asked me to bring this to you." He said and handed Ash the photo that James took earlier this morning. Ash smirked "He wants me to show this on TV as a make money quick scheme doesn't he?" "So I suspect, master" Lucario replied ignoring the still shocked people around him.

"Why that Evil little... When Lucario gets back I'll strangle him!" James yelled as he shook the TV in rage while Jessie was lying on the couch laughing as James. Alfred sweat dropped. 'Master Ashura certainly has some interesting friends.' he thought.

"What is the photo of?" Rhonda asked and was awarded with Ash showing her and the audience the photo. "I must say that it look like it was done by a professional photographer" Rhonda said. "James did that with a digital camera that he carries around with him when he found out he had a certain flare for taking photos. He is very good and I am sure he will have a stall setup at the Conference for all those who would like a photo be it with their Pokémon or family or any other photo they want."

Many watching decided that they would get James to take their photos. James meanwhile was sitting in a chair on cloud nine with Dollar signs in his eyes thinking of all the customers he would have thanks to Ash.

Rose yawned alerting Ash and Domino to the time. Ash took Rose off his head and cradled her in his arms. "It seems that it is getting late I need to go and collect my Pokémon for the Pokémon centre and put this one to bed so until next time Rhonda." Rhonda nodded and looked at the camera. "So there you have it folks this is Rhonda on Sinnoh Live at Lily City see you next time!"

"AAAND cut, that was perfect Rhonda" Rhonda nodded happily and turned to Ash and thanked him and told him they may interview him again before leaving to go to the hotel that they were staying at.

Ash gave Rose to Domino and asked Pikachu to go with her a little worried about anyone wanting to steal Rose or Willow. Pikachu nodded and leapt onto Willow's shoulder as Domino and Willow took a sleeping Rose home.

Lucario and Ash walked into the Pokémon centre and saw Cynthia at the counter also collecting her Pokémon. Ash walked up and patiently for his turn. When Cynthia had all of her Pokémon she turned around and gasped when she saw Ash. Ash raised an eyebrow at her causing her to Blush before turning to Nurse Joy. "Have all my Pokémon finished their check-ups?" he asked.

Nurse Joy nodded happily to him and said "They have and I am happy to say that they are the healthiest Pokémon I had the pleasure of examining though there was a Pikachu that seemed different to the rest of them."

"Oh that is Pika and he is Domino's Pikachu." 'I better not tell them that he is a clone.' He thought to himself. Nurse Joy frowned wondering what made him different but dropped it and passed Ash the bag that had his Pokémon in it. Ash thanked her and reached in and grabbed Pika's ball and threw it letting Pika out. Pika blinked a couple of time before it shook its head and looked around, spotting Ash climbed onto his shoulder and said "Hi where is Domino?" Ash smiled and replied.

"She is at home she had to put Rose to bed we will be going there now." Pika nodded. Ash was glad when Pika forgave Domino for what she did to Mewtwo and the other clone Pokémon back at Mt Quena, it took a while and Mewtwo had to have a long talk to him about something but in the end he gave her a chance and now had a bond almost as strong with her as Ash had with Pikachu. He chuckled inwardly to himself thinking about it Ash and Domino were similar in certain aspects and Pika and Pikachu were also similar, especially those two since pika is the clone of Pikachu but even then they both had different personalities which melded well with both Ash and Domino.

Ash nodded to Nurse Joy and Cynthia and started to walk out the door. Cynthia snapped out of her trance and turned to Ash. "Mr Satoshi, may I have a word with you?" Ash turned to look at her.

"That all depends in the type of conversation you wish to have with me, I already have a girlfriend and am very happy with her so unless there is something else you want to discuss…" Cynthia blushed at what Ash insinuated but shook her head. "No it has nothing to do with that."

"Very well but can you be quick I need to get home as I have some important business to attend to." He said to her. Cynthia nodded and walked over to him and said quietly "I know who you are Mr Goodshow told me." Ash raised his eyebrow. "Really and who did he tell you I was?"

"He said that you were Ash Ketchum." Ash nodded to her. "Yes I was once known by that name but my name changed with me as I changed and the person you know as Ash Ketchum isn't around any longer and has been dead for five years. He is gone no matter what my family try to do to bring him back." Ash said in a sad quiet voice. With that he turned and left the Pokémon centre leaving Cynthia who had a lone tear roll down her cheek. Pika and Lucario followed him with sad looks on their faces.

Pika said to Ash 'there is a way for you to bring your old self back you know.'

"Yes and if I do that I risk the safety of those I want to protect." Pika frowned at Ash. 'Shouldn't they be the ones to decide if they want to be safe or risk their lives helping you? They have has as much right to decide for themselves, you are simply taking away that right. It is just the same as when Mewtwo wanted me and the other clone Pokémon to live in solitary at Mt Quena instead of letting us choose what we wanted.' Ash stopped walking and looked at Pika. He knew what he was saying was true but he still didn't want to endanger his friends.

'Think about it, you are the only one that can decide if you inform them of your plans but remember they should be allowed to choose it they aid you or not.' Ash looked off into the distance for a while. Pika and Lucario decided to let Ash sit and contemplate what Pika said. Lucario took the bag of pokéballs and let Pika climb into his shoulder and left Ash alone with his thoughts.

'Am I taking their right away to choose? Of course I am! I don't want them to get mixed up in my families problems. They say ignorance is bliss, I wonder what they say about the people who can take that ignorance away.' Ash stood there for an hours wondering what he should do he finally decided that it was getting late as he watched the sunset. Watching the sunset he sighed. He wanted to go to his friends dearly but was terrified with them being in danger. Over the years he hadn't realised or didn't want to realise the danger he put them in over the years of travelling with him and he didn't want to put them through that again. He sighed again; he would wait and decided that if they found out about his identity he wouldn't lie to them. He only hoped that day never came but a part of him had started to count down the days that he would see his friends again.

When he returned to the mansion he heard a song being played in one of the rooms. Wondering what it was he into the room to find a lounge area with Domino sitting in front of the fire quietly singing the song that was playing to herself, he then realised what the song was. It was one of Domino's favourite songs called 'Your Heart Will Lead You Home' and the first time he listened to the words and heard the message that Domino said it carried.

_Sunny days and starry nights _

_And lazy afternoons_

_You're counting castles in the clouds _

_And humming little tunes_

_But somehow right before your eyes _

_The sun light fades away _

_Everything is different _

_And everything has changed_

_If you feel lost and on your own_

_And far from home _

_You're never alone, you know_

_Just think of your friends _

_The ones who care _

_They all will be waiting there with love to share _

_And your heart will lead you home_

_Funny how a photograph _

_Can take you back in time _

_To places and embraces _

_That you thought you'd left behind_

_They're trying to remind you _

_That you're not the only one _

_That no one is an island _

_When all is said and done_

_If you feel lost and on your own _

_And far from home _

_You're never alone, you know_

_Just think of your friends _

_The ones who care _

_They all will be waiting there with love to share _

_And your heart will lead you home_

_There'll come a day when you're losing your way _

_And you won't know where you belong _

_They say that home is where your heart is _

_So follow your heart know that you can't go wrong_

_If you feel lost and on your own _

_And far from home _

_You're never alone, you know_

_Just think of your friends _

_The ones who care _

_They all will be waiting there with love to share _

_And your heart will lead you home_

_If you feel lost and on your own _

_And far from home _

_You're never alone, you know_

_Just think of your friends _

_The ones who care _

_They all will be waiting there with love to share _

_And your heart will lead where you belong I know your heart will lead you home_

During the song Ash had been taken into old memories of him and the friends that he met with over the years. He thought of the adventures he had with his friends had and the fun that they had together and the love they shared for each other. He never realised he was crying until he felt a soft hand wipe them away. Surprised he saw Domino looking at him also crying. He hugged her desperate to feel her warmth. When he felt got control of himself again he pulled away from Domino and looked into her eyes. Domino's heart skipped a beat when she saw some of the old Ash in them again.

Ash said to her "if my friends don't work out my identity by the end of the Conference I promise you I will tell them then." Domino gave him a teary smile and hugged him again and said "It is good to have you back again Ash." He kissed her on the head. "It is good to be back Domino." They stood there never realising that they started to sway slowly to the music that they were listening to or that they were being watched by Jessie, James, Willow, Rose, Pikachu, Pika, Mewtwo or Lucario from a crack in the doorway. All of the eavesdroppers slowly crept away from the door and left Domino and Ash together happy that Ash was starting to return to his old self.

* * *

><p>Chapter four is done Ash has started to regain what he has lost over the years.<p> 


End file.
